UK bathroom industry leaders who signed an historic global commitment have outlined their motivations for taking decisive action to tackle critical issues of water scarcity and anti-microbial resistance (AMR).
UK delegates met with competitors and colleagues from the USA and Europe behind closed doors at Windsor Castle to hammer out an industry-wide declaration and multi-million-dollar investment and research programme.
The aim? To save billions of litres of water wasted every day through leaking bathroom fittings and appliances and to prevent bacterial infections in bathrooms.
Day two of the summit saw the world’s top 10 bathroom industry manufacturers commit to investment and collaboration to make a difference.
They pledged to invest in research and development to develop more efficient toilets and showers, to clearly label products so homeowners can choose options which conserve water, and to lobby governments around the world for support to save water.
They have agreed to design and develop new products which reduce infection risks. This pledge will entail improving hand hygiene, reducing toilet plumes and biofilm growth. Examples include further development of touchless technologies, improvement of flushing systems, and surfaces that inhibit microbial growth.
Lisa Whitfield, UK and Ireland Managing Director of Ideal Standard, explained the extensive scale of these issues.
She said: “Addressing the issue of leaking toilets in the UK could save an estimated 400 million litres of drinking-quality water every day. This represents approximately 10% of the additional 4,800 million litres projected to be required daily by 2050 to meet future demand, along with lowering the possibilities of drought in drier areas, such as the south east.
“That’s why we dedicated an invaluable few days attending the summit in Windsor Castle, with leaders from the global bathroom Industry. It’s highly encouraging to see the industry experts collaborating on significant issues impacting us all, making plans and commitments for change.”
Tom Reynolds, from the Bathroom Manufacturers Association, orchestrated the gathering to shed light on how the industry can address the pressing global water crisis.
“The summit emphasised the need for collective action within our industry to advocate, educate, and innovate so that we can contribute towards being part of the solution in tackling these crucial issues. I look forward to seeing the impact of our joint commitment.”
Dr Helene Roberts, Managing Director, Norcros UK & Ireland, said: “There was some real rich agreement across some of the major issues that we’re discussing. I learned a huge amount around antimicrobial resistance and how we as an industry can be part of the solution.”
The Windsor Summit was an opportunity for delegates to share the work that’s already being done to address critical issues like water scarcity.
Lisa Whitfield explained: “Our London Design and Specification Centre was the venue for the latest meeting of the working group charged with coming up with solutions for these issues.
“We’re looking forward to continuing to work with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the BMA and fellow manufacturers to help increase water resilience in England in the face of climate change, a growing population, and to protect our environment.”
(Pictured: Lisa Whitfield, UK and Ireland Managing Director of Ideal Standard)