Retailers are ideally placed to help guide consumers to choose more water-efficient products.
This was a key message to emerge from the Unified Water Label Association’s (UWLA) first virtual Water Matters conference last month, which was attended by 150 delegates from around the world.
Representatives from different sectors came together for the conference to explore how the bathroom industry could cooperate to educate consumers about using water efficiently.
UWLA chief executive Yvonne Orgill said: “There was clear agreement from our contributors that the world is changing and the environmental impact of how we use water in the home is increasingly important. All agreed that collectively we can take the lead, being proactive today in order to protect the water supply for future generations.
“Our panel discussion included an architect and a manufacturer that both supported the Unified Water Label as a smart tool, with presentations from two major international and European retailers, confirming their commitment to promote the label.
“Our guest speaker [impact entrepreneur] Ben Keene spoke passionately about how best to engage the consumer in the Water is Life message, offering a fresh approach that focused on making them feel good about playing their part.”
Orgill added that those in the KBB supply chain would be key to educate consumers: “Those that have a direct interface with the consumer, such as retailers, have a unique opportunity to take up this challenge and influence and educate consumers on the options available. They are well placed to promote products that are UWL-registered and advise on the performance aspects, reassuring consumers that water saving does not mean reduced performance. There is also a commercial gain for those that can offer quality products and advice to those consumers looking to make the right environmental choices when investing in their home.”