Conservation efforts extend beyond water
Today’s eco-friendly bathrooms can do more than just save water. They can help save trees and electricity, too.
Take Brondell’s Swash series of toilet seats, for example. According to the San Francisco-based company, 55 million trees are cut down each year in the United States to make toilet paper. Its Swash series practically eliminates the need for toilet paper.
The company’s newest offering, the Swash Ecoseat, is a battery-operated, dual-wand seat with an integrated bidet. It features adjustable water pressure and push-button controls for front or rear cleaning.
"We have seen increased interest in innovative toilet seat designs as consumers realize that their toilet seat can be more than just a surface to sit on — it can provide comfort, hygiene and be more environmentally friendly," said Scott Pinizzotto, chief executive officer.
Once the seat is installed, it can save a family of four more than $125 a year in toilet paper consumption, according to company statistics.
In addition to the Ecoseat, Brondell’s Swash series offers a variety of features that include a heated seat, adjustable water temperature, personalized settings, a warm-air dryer, gentle-closing seat and lid and wireless remote control.
Toto’s new Neorest 550 toilet incorporates a similar personalized wash system, but one that allows the user to determine both the water pressure and the length of time it is on, as well as dual-flush technology. It offers an auto-aware unit that conserves water from seated and standing positions. When seated, the user selects either the full flush (1.6 gallons per flush) or the light flush (1.05 gallons per flush) from buttons on a wireless remote. The light flush mode is automatically engaged when a man raises the seat by touching a button on the remote.
A slightly less obvious way to conserve water is the unit’s optional sound mode. Designed to ensure privacy, the unit allows users to play the sound of a toilet flushing, verses actually flushing the toilet or running water in the bathroom sink to mask bodily sounds, as well as the sounds of a running brook or crashing ocean waves.
Additionally, the toilet has a built-in, programmable night-light that eliminates the need for turning on overhead lights when using the bathroom at night, thereby saving electricity, along with automatic and timed energy-saving modes for the wash system.