Eco Friendly Bathroom Designs: Easy Ways to Implement

Here are a number of options to consider for designing a more eco-friendly bathroom or implementing greener habits at your home.

Written by:

Chase

Lurgio

Is creating a more eco-friendly home something that's on your mind? If you're like many Americans, the answer is yes! One of the rooms you might specifically be focusing on is your bathroom. From eco-friendly bathroom products to eco-friendly bathroom designs, there are a number of ways to implement a more environmentally friendly element into your home.

Creating a More Eco-Friendly Bathroom

Today, we're going to tell you all about creating a more eco-friendly bathroom. We'll talk about some of the design options to choose from, eco-friendly swaps you can make, and other environmentally-friendly decisions you can make.

Eco-Friendly Design Options

Let's begin by talking about some of the greener design options you have to choose from.

Ditch your shower curtain

Do you have a PVC shower curtain hanging in your bathroom right now? This is one of the first things to rethink during an eco-friendly bathroom design. Not only are these harmful to the environment, they could also be harmful to your health. In fact, a study by the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) (a non-profit organization that studies and recommends ways to prevent chemical threats to health) provides a lot of evidence showing just that.

So, what's a better option? Glass shower doors! These are a much better option for a number of reasons. First, glass is a fully-recyclable and sustainable material, unlike most shower curtains. It's also a sleeker, more stylish option and one that's built to last.

Whether you opt for a frameless or semi-frameless design, you'll appreciate how effective these are at keeping water in the shower where it's supposed to be, instead of leaking onto the floor. A glass shower door will also make your bathroom appear larger, lighter, and simply more beautiful!

Click here to learn more about the custom glass shower door options you have to choose from.

Water-wise fixtures

Did you know a leaky toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water each day? You can imagine how quickly this adds up and what a toll it takes not only on your water bill, but also on the environment.

If you're redesigning your bathroom with eco-friendly bathroom design in mind, one of the first places to start is choosing your fixtures wisely.

Look for toilets, shower heads, and faucets that can help you waste less water. One way to do this is looking for the EPA's WaterSense label:

"The WaterSense label makes it simple to find water-efficient products, new homes, and programs that meet EPA’s criteria for efficiency and performance. WaterSense-labeled products and services are certified to use at least 20 percent less water, save energy, and perform as well as or better than regular models."

You can find a list of WaterSense bathroom products here to help you with your search.

Energy-efficient options

Next, it's also helpful to consider more energy-efficient options for your bathroom. Your home uses a LOT of energy heating water, so the more efficient your water heater is, the better.

When buying a new water heater, look for the EPA’s ENERGY STAR logo to help make sure you're choosing a greener option.

Here are four options to help you get started on your search:

Heat pump water heaters: These work like a reverse air conditioner
Tankless water heaters: These heat your water as you use it, rather than storing it
Condensing storage water heaters: This option captures the exhaust and pushes it through heat coils inside the heater creating more hot water with less energy (up to 96% efficiency!)
Solar water heaters: A solar water heater can cost you more to buy, but it pays off in the long run with big savings on your water heater energy costs

Another energy-efficient route to take is choosing LED lighting for your bathroom fixtures. These will last about 40 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs. And while an LED bulb may cost more upfront, it saves you money in the long run on your energy bills and you won't have to replace it nearly as often.

Choosing environmentally-friendly materials

During an eco-friendly bathroom design, you can also choose from a number of products (including flooring and paint) that are more environmentally-friendly than other options. For example, there are many bathroom tiles out there now made of recycled content. You can also choose paint that is VOC (volatile organic compound) free for a safer option.

Eco-Friendly Bathroom Habits

In addition to the materials, fixtures, and systems you implement in your eco-friendly bathroom, there are several ways you can practice greener habits that can make a big difference when it comes to minimizing waste.

Here are some ideas:

If you live in a warm enough climate, dry your towels outside rather than in your dryer. You can also purchase a drying rack to keep inside of your home for drying your towels and other items.
Recycle everything you can, including toilet paper rolls.
Avoid long showers whenever possible.
Rather than running your shower until the water gets hot, store the water you run first to use for watering plants.
Keep a container in your bathroom specifically for collecting recyclable products so they aren't thrown in the garbage instead.
Decorate your bathroom with air-purifying plants, including snake plants or Barberton daisy.

Environmentally-Friendly Products

Now let's talk more about some of the specific eco-friendly bathroom product choices you can make in your own home.

Choose green bathroom cleaning products, including ones without harsh chemicals to clean your bathroom.
Use responsibly-sourced toilet paper.
Opt for products that come in glass bottles rather than anything that is stored in single-use plastics.
Use shower and conditioner bars instead of liquid.
Look for "sustainable" or "zero waste" on any of the bathroom products you buy whenever possible.
Try a bamboo toothbrush. These are totally biodegradable and you can also buy one that comes in a recyclable package.
Use reusable cloths for cleaning your bathroom rather than paper towels that get thrown out.

Let's Talk More About Your Eco-Friendly Bathroom

Are you interested in learning more about the glass shower doors that would be right for your home on your journey to creating a more environmentally-friendly home? We should talk! Click here to schedule a consultation with the friendly and knowledgeable staff at Coastal Closets & Showers in Stuart, FL.

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