Consume less, enjoy more

Jonas Brennwald - Leader LIXIL EMENA

This summer, Europe is experiencing dual water and energy crises. Consumers face stark warnings that both may run short, while bills continue to rise. And politicians are beginning to acknowledge that bringing on new supplies will take time and significant investment. The focus now must be boosting efficiency. Few consumers and policy makers have prioritized this in recent years – despite the growing focus on sustainability. But the changes we make today can make our homes better – helping us all saving money while improving our environmental footprint. At LIXIL, we’re focused on making that happen for our customers.

This summers’ extreme heat and droughts are a reminder that the effects of climate change are already with us. Today, nearly one in three Europeans live in areas that experience water stress along with many more people in the Middle East and North Africa. The problem is set to get even worse as we see the full effects of climate change and extreme weather become the new normal.

But we are not helpless. We can make simple changes at home that can significantly cut both our water and energy use to help protect our communities and the planet.

When we make the right choices equipping our homes and bathrooms, we can significantly reduce our water use without making an effort on a day to day basis. Domestic water consumption can be lowered by more than half by fixing leaks and switching to efficient faucets, showerheads, toilets and appliances. And with water use in the home responsible for around a sixth of household energy consumption, this would also help cut fossil fuel demand and carbon emissions.

We firmly believe people are most likely to become water efficient when they don’t feel they’re making a sacrifice and sustainable products are both easy to use and easy to love.???

For our GROHE brand, this focus on creating enjoyable, sustainable experiences is part of its DNA. We have spent decades bringing the pure joy of water into homes with solutions that help improve our customers’ environmental footprint. For example, our EcoJoy technology can reduce bathroom water use by up to 50% with no reduction in the sensation of water volume when showering. This is particularly important as showering accounts for third of domestic water use and is a daily routine where people really care about the experience.

But looking at the figures: we will need to be more ambitious. We need to help people reuse and recycle water at home to help boost efficiency even further. And the opportunities will be greater still if we can help consumers change their behavior so they actively make a sustainable choice each day and not just when they buy an appliance.

We’re using our experience in technology and design to develop a new generation of products that help make this happen – including our new circulating shower solution, which cleans and recycles shower water at the touch of a button. This can reduce the water used in a ten minute shower by up to 75% and energy use by up to 66% – cutting bills for a family of four by up to €1,300 per year and reducing CO2 emissions by up to 70% – all without sacrificing the enjoyment of longer showers. For a guilt-free shower experience, the user just needs to put the shower in recycle mode once they’ve finished using soap and shampoo – an active daily consumer choice that makes it far more efficient than the ‘passive’ efficient showerheads on the market today.

While the alarming impacts of climate change and water stress are already upon us, at LIXIL we know the enjoyment of water in the home doesn’t have to mean sacrifice. To drive positive change, sustainability needs to become the easy, instinctive choice for consumers, and we recognise our important role to play in both our products and how we encourage this shift in every day thinking.

There is a long journey ahead of us, and we will talk more about our progress in the year to come – in the meantime, we invite you to join us in this conversation and share your ideas.