If you’re thinking about renovating your bathroom and you value the kind of impact you make on the environment, the there are steps you can take to make your new renovation as eco friendly as possible.
The eco friendly options available now are light years ahead of what was around even five years and they genuinely end up saving you money in the long run too.
Companies like Complete Bathroom Solutions have been helping people make these greener choices for their bathroom renovations.
When people assume eco friendly automatically means expensive or means settling for less.
And yeah, some green options do cost more upfront, but when you factor in the water and energy savings over time, the numbers often work out better than you’d think.
Plus there’s just the satisfaction of knowing your daily routine isn’t absolutely hammering the planet, which matters to a lot of people these days.
The water situation in Australia
If you live in australia, you may or may not be aware we live in the driest continents in the world. Even if you did know this, if may not be the top of your mind when youre renovating your bathroom. But it’s definitely something to take into consideration.
The average Australian uses something like 100 litres of water per day at home and a huge chunk of that happens in the bathroom, showers, toilets, taps running while we brush our teeth.
A bathroom renovation is the perfect opportunity to redo how your water consumption works. You’re already ripping things out and starting fresh so why not make choices that’ll reduce your water consumption by 30-40% or more?
Fixtures that actually make a difference
Fixtures make the biggest difference, showerheads, taps, toilets. You’re probably planning on replacing these anyway if you’re renovating your bathroom. So make sure to choose ones that are sustainable. Your waterbills will thank you.
Modern water efficient showerheads are amazing nowadays. Some use air injection technology to make the water feel more powerful than it actually is which sounds like marketing nonsense but actually works pretty well.
Toilets are probably the biggest water user in most bathrooms. Older single flush toilets use 11-12 litres per flush, which is crazy when you think about how many times a day that happens.
Modern dual-flush toilets use 3 litres for half flush and 4.5-6 litres for full flush. Over a year for a family of four that’s thousands of litres saved. Literally thousands.
Taps are the easier one to overlook but they matter too. Water efficient taps use aerators to mix air with the water whihc doesnt make it feel weak when you use it but actually reduces the amount of water used.
Hot water and energy use
Taking shorter showers is the obvious answer but let’s be realistic, most people aren’t going to change their shower habits dramatically.
You can also look at thermostatic mixing valves that let you set a maximum temperature, which prevents people from running it too hot and wasting energy.
Lighting that doesn’t waste power
Bathroom lighting is one of those things where the energy savings from going LED are just obvious. LED bulbs use about 75-80% less energy than old incandescent bulbs and they last ages.
The thing with bathrooms is you often want good lighting around mirrors for shaving or makeup, which traditionally meant multiple bulbs running whenever you’re in there.
You can use LED lights without the energy wasting guilt. Nowadays LED lights come in all shades so you can geta adraker one so you dont feel so clinical.
Natural lighting is even better if you can make it work. Adding a skylight if you have a house or top level place, is a great way to add light into the bathroom without letting people see into your bathroom.
This way, you can get natual ligthing in but walka round freely and in and out of your shower without wondering if your nosy neighbor is peaking in. Frosted windows are also an amazing idea if people peering in is a concern for you.
Materials that make sense
The materials you choose for your bathroom renovation have environmental impacts too, though this gets complicated quickly because you have to think about manufacturing, transport, durability, and end-of-life disposal. It’s not always straightforward.
Recycled or reclaimed materials are an obvious choice when they work. Recycled glass tiles, reclaimed timber for vanities, recycled metal fixtures.
They often look great and have that character that new materials don’t, plus you’re keeping stuff out of landfill. They tend to be harder to source unfortantly though.
Does it actually matter?
Look one bathroom renovation isn’t going to solve climate change or Australia’s water issues. Let’s be realistic about that. ut if everyone makes changes they all add up!
My take? If you’re renovating anyway, the extra cost to make it eco-friendly is worth it in most cases. You don’t have to do everything perfectly or choose the most expensive green option for every decision.
But making thoughtful choices about water efficiency, energy use, and materials is pretty straightforward and the benefits stack up over time.
Work with bathroom renovation professionals who understand this stuff. Ask genuine questions about the ratings of things and the energy efficiency. Afterall youre going to be paying the energy bills so you deserve to know what youll be dealing with and if there are any better options available for you.
