Bathroom

A Greener Bathroom for Your Home Is Just 6 Steps Away

Bathroom

An average person in a first world country like the USA uses about 150 liters of water in a day. However, most of it goes down the drains, in the literal sense. We use the most amount of water for flushing the toilet. An old-school flush needs about 7 gallons of water to function. The eagerness of everyday people to become environmentally aware and contribute to a greener world has led to the development of eco-friendly designs for the bathroom.

Here are six ways you can now get your own eco-friendly bathroom:

  1. When opting for a bathroom remodel, opt for a low-flow toilet. These newer models usually use only 2.2 to 4 gallons of water per flush. It will significantly reduce the water per person uses in the household.
  2. You can also opt for a tankless water heater. A tanked water heater uses much energy for regular heating purposes. It is usually because the tanked heater heats up more than necessary volumes of water. A tankless heater will only heat up the amount of water you need.
  3. Remodeling always involves painting. Look for paint that has low volatile organic compounds or VOCs. These VOCs are major air pollutants in the cities and paints without them are much healthier for everyone.
  4. Look for tiling materials that say “reclaimed.” Reclaimed wood and tiles are in no way inferior in quality. These reduce your carbon footprint. They also cost lesser, and they offer a variety of colors, tones, and designs.
  5. Opting for faucets with sensors can be costly for a regular household, especially if you have more than one bathroom. For a true eco friendly bathroom design, you should opt for aerators in faucets and shower heads. These will reduce the amount of water each person uses. If everyone chooses to go with aerators in his or her faucets and shower heads today, the country could save about 250 million gallons of water in just a year.
  6. If you still have incandescent bulbs, replace them with compact fluorescent bulbs. LEDs are great options if you want to invest once and reap the benefit for years on. LEDs consume at least 80% lesser energy as compared to incandescent lights, and they last much longer too.

Sometimes, small things like the kind of bathroom fixtures you choose can make a lasting impact on the environment and your finances. For example, if you pick a steel bathtub and faucet set today, they will last you for years to come. Some homes have been using the same steel fixture for at least the last one decade. Unlike fiberglass and acrylic, you can always recycle or reuse steel fixtures. It makes steel a more sustainable choice for every household that wants to make their lives a little greener.

Small steps like these can make a significant impact on the environment. By reducing the carbon footprint and water usage per person within your family, you can become a part of a much larger cause. Besides, when you can get the chance to remake your bathroom and add new features, it is always reason enough to do something for the environment in return.

Charles Brown is a freelance writer and blogger. He contributes to various CosmoBC.com blogs.

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