How To Create An Environmentally
Responsible Washroom
Green buildings are the way of the future. The materials we use to create our buildings and the energy we consume to keep them comfortable take a tremendous toll on the environment. Increasingly it is becoming essential to incorporate environmental initiatives at the earliest stage of the design process.
However, with existing buildings it’s too late or too expensive to change their design or structure – particularly in the washrooms. But there are a number of easy steps that can be taken to make washrooms “kinder” to the environment. One way to start is by thinking about source reduction.
What is Source Reduction?
Simply put, source reduction is waste prevention or designing products so they generate less waste. Source-reduced products are created to last longer and use more efficient dispensing methods and less packaging in their manufacture – so there is less waste from the start. It leads to more efficient use of raw material and natural resources, such as energy and water, during the manufacturing process.
There are many ways to practise and achieve the benefits of source reduction. Here are some examples:
- Choose products that offer high performance. Product performance can help cut waste. How? Because superior performing products may require less source material to handle the desired task and therefore reduce the waste generated. For example, high quality, concentrated soap lasts longer than other soaps as less soap is needed per hand wash, reducing the frequency of refilling and maybe total cost.
- Look for quality products that offer controlled dispensing to cut waste. Effective dispensing methods provide another way for you to practice source-reduction. The way a product is dispensed can have a big effect on waste reduction. Single sheet dispensing of hand towels and toilet tissue controls usage which subsequently prevents overuse and reduces the waste created.
- Select high capacity products and systems. High capacity product options are another important means of reducing waste. Toilet tissue is one area where high capacity products can greatly reduce waste. Jumbo roll toilet tissue systems can reduce waste because they provide the equivalent of up to 10 rolls of standard tissue eliminating the need for individual wrappers and using fewer cores and smaller packing cases. An enclosed single sheet toilet tissue system that dispenses one premium two-ply sheet of tissue at a time also offers a high capacity, source-alternative to standard roll tissue, providing the equivalent of up to five standard rolls without stub rolls and cores. This type of system also reduces waste through controlled dispensing.
Adopting a source-reduction approach to washroom maintenance can pay off in many different ways. Other benefits customers may experience are reduced maintenance time and a positive impression for washroom visitors.
