KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-news - since 2002
28th January 2021
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European Water Label does it again!
The European Water Label has won its 5th award in as many years and, needless to say, its supporters and partners across Europe are delighted! Against strong competition from the likes of Essex & Suffolk Water, Royal Haskoning DHV and Illman Young Architects, the European Water Label took the prized SWIG Award at a breakfast ceremony in London last week.
SWIG - the Sustainable Water Industry Group - was conceived in 2008 by a group that came together with the idea of applying some 'whole system thinking' to sustainable water management. Participants include manufacturers, installers, professionals, consultants, designers, academics and others from across the industry.
The SWIG Awards are given for extraordinary projects combining the practical with the imaginative to deliver projects promoting sustainable water use. The awards are presented every two years to organisations to celebrate and promote good work, to increase awareness of what can be achieved and to inspire future projects and transformational change.
The group's biennial awards are highly sought after and the European Water Label, administered by the Bathroom Manufacturers Association based at Keele University, won the coveted award for Communication.
In her acceptance speech, Yvonne Orgill, who heads the EWL, spoke about the progress of the voluntary scheme from the germ of an idea in 2006 to what it is today, the dominant product labelling scheme in 34 countries across Europe. She went on to praise the work of the scheme's 43 partners and thanked the bathroom and kitchen merchants and retailers, and the water utilities for their continued support.
EWL now works in 34 countries to mitigate the impact of the increasing demand for water. This voluntary scheme, which boasts over 8000 products across 93 well-known bathroom brands is growing rapidly as its success becomes more widely known.
The European Water Label, gives both the consumer and the industry professional alike, all the necessary water usage characteristics of bathroom and kitchen products in 13 categories. Simply put, the water consumption for each product can be seen at a glance and the information provided can be used to aid the choice of bathroom and kitchen components.
The label is increasingly used by bathroom and kitchen retailers who have acknowledged its power as a sales & marketing tool. Shrewd consumers who want to save money by reducing their energy and water consumption are now asking for labelled products, and shrewd retailers are giving them the advice and choice which the label provides. Retailers are displaying the Water Label in their showrooms and have also taken advantage of free listing, as stockists, available in the database.
The entirely voluntary European Water Label is an undeniable success which is low cost, maintains consumer choice, and does exactly what it is designed to do - inform and educate. Applications to join the scheme as registered companies or scheme partners are invited.
T: 01782 631619
E: [email protected]
W: www.europeanwaterlabel.eu
4th December 2015