Yesterday the BMA team launched our campaign to help the public #GetLavvySavvy. In this blog, I’m going to share what the campaign is all about.
Back in 2019 BMA members set sustainability as one of the association’s strategic priorities. Eighteen months on, the world feels like a very different place, but sustainability remains a high priority for policymakers, NGOs and, increasingly, consumers.
Despite the UK’s renown for grey skies and rainfall, climate change is causing water scarcity to be a growing problem. Authorities are predicting a significant structural deficit in water resources by 2050. This is clearly a key environmental topic for bathroom manufacturers, as over 60% of domestic water use is in the bathroom and many of our products rely on a secure supply of water.
We are taking a proactive approach, firstly calling on policymakers to join the dots between water efficiency and climate action, by addressing the problem in every bathroom in the country. Our products can also be part of the solution; let’s take the humble lavatory. In the last two decades, in response to water scarcity, innovations like the dual flush valve have given consumers the ability to reduce their water use, lowering flush volumes from 13 litres to just four litres.
Last year media coverage on the tendency of some valves to leak in certain circumstances shone an unwelcome spotlight on our sector. This coverage identified dual flush valves as ‘water wasters’ in 5% of British homes, but it failed to cover the twenty years of continuous improvement by manufacturers to try and remove the problem. A silver lining was some great collaboration Thames Water, which is ongoing, and is working towards a joint statement.
As well product engineering, we were also very conscious that to eradicate loo leakage we need to help consumers be vigilant and carry out occasional basic maintenance. Our campaign is therefore aiming to help the public become more ‘Lavvy Savvy’.
Like any mechanism, toilets need occasional TLC to keep them working properly. Debris left behind from installation, as well as a build up of gunk from cleaning products and hard water, can stop flush valve seals from working in the way they should. An occasional wipe should prevent this from happening, and just with tyres on a car, some renewable parts can be inexpensively replaced to keep the your toilet leak-free.
We have produced three videos with the basics of how to check your toilet for leaks and how to do basic maintenance. These will be shared on social media channels. We’ll also be signposting to brand-specific advice from manufacturers.
Research carried out by the Bathroom Manufacturers Association in July 2020 showed three quarters of British adults try to save water whenever they can and around half of those surveyed would like to improve their household water efficiency. But worryingly, four in ten adults are not sure how to go reducing their water use. #GetLavvySavvy will provide important information to help consumers to make a difference.