BMA hails new ‘Water’ label scheme as ‘momentous step’

The European bathroom industry has backed calls to have one label for all European water-using bathroom products.

The new label will be called ‘Water’ and will reflect the needs of the industry to label product, identify water and energy use of products and help eliminate confusion caused by multiple label systems.

This in turn would make it easy to understand and consumer friendly and help to drive efficiency measures.

The new label draws on principles from the two current leading schemes – WELL and the BMA-backed European Water Label (EWL) – creating a single ‘Best of Both’ approach and a common platform for all markets.

The findings from the Best of Both initiative were placed under the newly created informal platform called the European Bathroom Forum (EBF).

The EBF will now bring all parties together as one common voice to promote and lobby the issue and its objectives.

Yvonne Orgill
Yvonne Orgill

“The European Bathroom industry and the European Water Label has decided that the time is now right to take the lead and place its full support towards one labelling scheme which embraces all water using bathroom products,” said EWL managing director and BMA CEO Yvonne Orgill. “This momentous step will provide the bathroom buyer with sufficient information on water and associated energy use to make an informed choice and reduce confusion in the market place. An easy to understand, consumer friendly label will help drive efficiency measures, ensuring the end user has greater knowledge of how much water they are consuming.  It takes the European Water Label to the next stage. Twenty four major companies have already pledged they will only support this new label going forward.”

Research has shown that Europe is heading towards drought conditions unless consumers and businesses change their behaviour and use water in a more sustainable way.

Water-using products account for over 60% of water used in the domestic environment, with consumers having little or no knowledge of how much water they use on a daily basis.

Industry leaders are now collectively working towards establishing one scheme that is open to all, easy to understand, and provides national governments and the European Commission with a solution that reflects the complexities of the industry.

An inaugural meeting will be held by the EBF on May 22 at its offices in Brussels. The meeting will be open to all interested parties, both manufacturers and organisations with no joining fee.

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