When purchasing “white goods” in the European Union, such as fridges and freezer, the energy labels have become a familiar part of the shopping experience.
The energy labels are supported by European Union Eco-Labelling Regulations. However until now, there has not been a similar label with information on the product’s water use.
Enter the Water Label, which was, originally, developed by the Bathroom Manufacturers Association and is now operated by The Water Label company.
The voluntary scheme provides comparative information on volumes of water use between similar products to help inform consumer purchase decisions in favour of more water-efficient products.
The Water Using Products Group has been facilitated by WRAP & they have reached an agreement on a collective approach to use water efficiency information on all bathroom fittings – showers, taps, WCs and baths – using The Water Label.
The voluntary labelling scheme will enable consumers to identify and compare more efficient bathroom fittings such as taps, showers, WCs and baths.
Use of The Water Label represents a significant step forward for the industry, helping to inform customer choice and increase sales of water efficient fittings, and could provide the trailblazer for wider European adoption.
A number of major manufacturers, merchants and retailers have already pledged their commitment to the initiative, such as Argos, B&Q, Chandlers’ Building Supplies, Homebase, Travis Perkins, Saint Gobain, Wolseley and Southern Water.
The new labelling will start to appear across a wide range of products in Summer 2014 onwards.
Further information on the scheme can be found at http://www.europeanwaterlabel.eu/