Eco-Friendly Bathroom Upgrades: Sustainability in Your Space

More than ever before individuals are looking to make eco-friendly adjustments to their property in order to foster a more sustainable home environment. Alongside this rise in environmental awareness and sustainable improvements, eco-friendly bathrooms are gaining popularity. Therefore, individuals are incorporating water-saving features, energy efficient lighting and environmentally friendly materials into their bathroom design to lower their ecological footprint. However, an eco-friendly bathroom goes beyond just design, it is equally as important for homeowners to implement more sustainable habits into their daily routine when using their bathroom.
Water-saving features
Conserving water resources is crucial for protecting the environment, it is therefore important that bathrooms are designed to consume as little water as possible. Incorporating water saving features throughout your bathroom can be a straightforward way to reduce water intake on a daily basis without having to change your habits whatsoever. There are a range of different features that can be adapted to reduce water consumption:
Low flow showerhead
Low flow showerheads use less water than a regular showerhead without compromising on the quality of your shower. These showerheads typically use between 1.5 to 2 gallons per minute, whilst a regular showerhead uses a minimum of 2.5 gallons per minute. Low-flow showerheads typically use smaller holes and air to create a high-pressure experience.
Dual flush toilets
A dual flush toilet can significantly reduce water usage by offering a short flush option that uses less water. The short flush option can be used for flushing liquid waste, so you only have to use the full flush when disposing of solid waste.
Tap aerator
Tap aerators are small attachments that are placed on the edge of a tap spout. This attachment mixes air with water to ensure less water usage, in fact, they can reduce water usage by up to 30%. The mix of air and water ensures that your tap won’t compromise on pressure.
Motion sensor taps
Incorporating motion sensor taps in your bathroom can help to reduce water usage by automatically stopping the flow of water after a short period of time. These taps use technology to automatically turn on the tap when motion is detected. Therefore, these taps automatically turn off when no motion is present which prevents them being left on for an extended period, for example, when brushing your teeth or just forgetting to turn them off in general.
Incorporating these features within your bathroom will go a long way in reducing water consumption. If you notice that your water consumption remains high after installing multiple water saving features this may indicate a leaking pipe. To prevent leaking pipes, it is a good idea to perform a drainage air test, this is a standard procedure in maintaining a healthy plumbing system. This process involves measuring the airtightness of your pipes to identify if leaks are present, it can be performed by a professional plumber or individuals sufficient in DIY.
Energy efficient lighting
Replacing incandescent light bulbs with LED light bulbs can improve your energy efficiency by up to 80%, making them the perfect choice for reducing energy usage in a bathroom. Reducing energy consumption is important for minimising greenhouse gas emissions that are emitted into the environment. In addition, LED light bulbs also have longer life-spans than incandescent bulbs so they require replacing far less frequently, offering money-saving benefits. LED lights are known for their ability to provide bright and clear lighting, this high-quality lighting is important within a bathroom as it offers maximum visibility and prevents the risk of trips, slips and falls.
Sustainable materials
When redesigning your bathroom, it is encouraged that you incorporate sustainable materials, like bamboo, clay, ceramic and so on. These are all natural materials which means they are derived from renewable resources and are highly sustainable. In addition, these sustainable materials are known to last much longer due to their durability. Similarly, to minimise your impact on the environment you can use recycled materials like reclaimed wood, this removes the need to use new resources.
Furthermore, buying second-hand furniture pieces and decor items is an easy way to elongate the lifespan of items and contribute towards eco-friendly practices. Second-hand items can be sourced online, from sites such as Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree or alternatively they can be found in local charity shops and second-hand stores. Not only are second hand purchases good for the environment, but they are typically much cheaper than buying items brand new.
Altering Daily Habits
Lastly, to introduce more sustainable practices into your bathroom it can be worth altering your everyday bathroom habits to introduce more eco-friendly practices. This can include shortening shower times or turning the tap off when brushing your teeth. Although these habits may seem minute, in the long-run they can waste a large amount of water. Lowering your water usage by even a small amount can significantly reduce water consumption. You can start by simply shortening your usual shower length by one or two minutes and overtime you will notice a significant difference in the amount of water used.
An eco-friendly bathroom design goes a long way in reducing a home’s carbon footprint, whilst also providing cost-saving benefits. By incorporating eco-friendly materials, water-saving features and altering daily habits, individuals can design a bathroom that significantly reduces their ecological footprint, contributing towards a more sustainable planet.