The Earth has a problem with plastic waste: according to Germany’s Nature And Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), in the 1950s, 1.5 million tonnes of plastic was produced annually worldwide. Today, that figure has already reached an incredible 400 million tonnes.
Germany alone produces around 15 million tonnes of plastic waste per year, of which only 16% is reused to make new products. Plastic products like toothpaste tubes and shampoo bottles that are used every day in the bathroom account for a large proportion of that waste. Every year, 2.08 billion plastic containers of this kind are sold and thrown away in Germany.
There are, however, vast quantities of synthetic material in the bathroom that we aren’t thinking about – such as bathtubs, showers and washbasins. Steel enamel offers an eco-friendly alternative because it is glazed steel made of natural raw materials and fully recyclable.
According to the Heinze Bathroom Panel, in Germany almost 300,000 acrylic bathtubs and over 300,000 acrylic shower trays were installed in newbuilds, for refurbishments or as replacement products in homes in 2019 alone. This means around 12,000 tonnes of plastic is being installed in bathrooms, year in, year out. To give some sense of scale, this weight is roughly the same as around 600 million standard plastic bags.
To ensure that no synthetic materials are used when fitting out bathrooms with bathtubs, showers and washbasins, Kaldewei uses an eco-friendly and fully recyclable material to produce its superior bathroom products – Kaldewei steel enamel. This unique fusion of steel and glass is produced from natural raw materials and can later be fully recycled.
The steel Kaldewei uses actually consists of 20% recycled steel – potentially from old bathtubs. In this way, valuable resources are conserved and the environment is protected.
Kaldewei steel enamel: Sustainable with exquisite glazing
Not only ultra-sustainable, steel enamel is also beautiful and extremely functional. In steel enamel, the respective strengths of steel and glass enter into the perfect symbiosis.
Steel stands for robustness, toughness and the ability to keep its shape. Glass offers a superior look and feel, and is resilient, easy to care for and hygienic.
A 30-year guarantee underlines the longevity of the products and their great lasting value.
Good for me, good for the environment
Awareness of eco-friendly building and renovation has never been higher. In the bathroom – probably the most intimate room in the house – people would much rather surround themselves with natural materials, instead of plastic and other environmentally harmful synthetic materials.
Glass, wood and natural stone are the key materials in modern, sustainable bathrooms. Kaldewei bathtubs, shower surfaces and washbasins with their exquisite enamel glaze are the perfect complement.
Eco-awareness as part of Kaldewei’s DNA
Respect for the environment is firmly enshrined in Kaldewei’s DNA. “We have already been in business for over 100 years. We want future generations to enjoy a clean planet as well,” said managing director Franz Kaldewei.
That is why Kaldewei not only insists on using sustainable raw materials but has also joined forces with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), sponsoring the WWF’s ocean conservation programme to reduce the amount of plastic in the world’s oceans.
More information: www.kaldewei.com
