The European Water Label
14/01/2014 | It was a thrilling start to 2013 when The Water Label won two major awards for its innovative approach to the labelling of water consuming products. The first was in the Business Innovation Category at the UK’s Sentinel Awards (www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2l5Dtru14g) and the second, a more personal award given to Yvonne Orgill, chief of the BMA, for her work in bringing the Water Label from a simple idea to the preferred scheme in Europe. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2l5Dtru14g) The scheme now has over 50 registered brands in its database, together with over 7,000products. Of all the products registered, 30% are WCs, 19% are faucets and 16% bath tubs. A further 30% concern shower fittings, electric showers and shower handsets. Products are registered in 32. The Water Label website at www.europeanwaterlabel.eu is constantly being upgraded making it more user friendly. The recently introduced Product Map adds an interesting feature to the site. Users can see products listed in their own country. Innovation is key and our web masters are kept busy. The British government, though DEFRA (the Department for Environment Food, and Rural Affairs) fully supports the scheme and in July 2013 a major conference organised by WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme, which is funded by DEFRA) heard the wonderful news that an agreement had been reached with bathroom retailers, merchants and manufacturers to join forces to further support and promote the label. Supporters include Saint Gobain, Wolseley, Kingfisher, Builders Merchants Association, Home Retail Group, and Travis Perkins. During 2013 the Water Label was seen at major exhibitions in Europe. At ISH Frankfurt, the BMA promoted the label with a busy display showing to the 123,600 visitors. The Label took pride of place at the Bathroom Business Conference and Exhibition in Chester, England and in the London May Design Series. Elsewhere the label was shown at London’s ECOBuild exhibition and at the Oxford Waterwise Conference. The Water Label also had a presence at the CEIR Annual Congress in Ghent. At each exhibition the specially produced ‘Water is Life’ magazine, which features endorsements by leading figures in the water industry, was greedily taken up as visitors wanted to know more. The Water Label has come a long way since its inception but the last eighteen months has seen a rapidly growing awareness of the scheme and its benefits. The Label is now poised to grow faster and further in 2014.