Spearheaded by the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA), leaders from some of the world’s top bathroom brands have signed a historic pledge to cut billions of litres in water waste and reduce the spread of bacteria.
Last week, the owners and executives of global bathroom giants Kohler, Fortune Brands Innovations, Hansgrohe SE, GWA Group, Norcros UK & Ireland, Kohler Mira, Roca Group, Thomas Dudley, Bristan, Ideal Standard/Villeroy & Boch, Sato and LIXIL and Lecico attended the two-day summit, which was held at Windsor Castle.
On Friday, November 1, the business leaders, along with BMA chief executive, Tom Reynolds, signed a declaration, committing to advancing product innovations such as water-efficient toilets and touchless technology, and are now calling on the wider industry to do the same.
In addition, the industry leaders pledged to clearly label products so homeowners can choose options that conserve water, and to lobby governments around the world for support to save water.
They have also agreed to design and develop new products that reduce infection risks. This pledge will entail improving hand hygiene and reducing toilet plumes and biofilm growth.
The BMA believes that by reducing billions of litres of waste water from toilets, taps and showers worldwide and pledging to innovate and reducing the risk of potentially deadly infections spreading, the commitments will impact billions of lives around the world.
According to the BMA, up to 400 million litres of water are wasted each day in the UK alone through leaky loos, which adds up to 1.46 billion litres of water a year.
Commenting on the significance of thre summit, BMA chief executive Tom Reynolds said: “This is the first time the world’s biggest manufacturers have come together, stepping up as a sector to agree to innovate, invest, research and develop products which deliver our mission.
“Water is life. It’s needed by every living thing on the planet, yet climate change means that water scarcity is a growing problem even in wet countries like the UK. The situation becomes more complex and potentially more deadly because of the growing threat of bacteria which are not affected by antibiotics.
“Three years ago we suffered a global pandemic. These resistant microbes represent a significant threat to humanity… without water, we can’t be hygienic, and here’s where our summit all comes together. The humble bathroom’s contribution to sanitation, hygiene and public health has saved millions of lives throughout history.
“We’re taking water preservation and AMR (antimicrobial resistance) to the next level, and as a sector, we will be following up regularly to measure the impact of this declaration.”
In related news, the BMA recently appointed Kohler’s global chief innovation officer, Craig Baker, to the position of president. In his first speech in the role, Baker laid out an ambitious agenda, focused on reducing environmental impact, raising industry standards, and increasing market growth and understanding.