MANUFACTURER
Grohe AG
D-40545 Düsseldorf
www.grohe.com
DESIGN
Lixil Global Design
D-40545 Düsseldorf
www.grohe.com
The consumption of resources is one of the major problems associated with the linear business model. The cradle-to-cradle principle, whereby materials remain part of a continuous cycle, poses an alternative. Now Grohe has modified four of its bestselling products – three taps and the Tempesta 100 shower rail set – and had them certified as meeting the “Gold” standard of the Cradle to Cradle programme. That involved the optimisation not just of internal production methods but of upstream processes as well. In addition, two of the taps use an adapted mixer unit that only supplies cold water when the lever is in the middle position.
What’s more, the company is working on a coherent returns system for decommissioned fittings in order to expedite adoption of the circular principle.
JURY
The design is not new, nor is it pretentious. But following their optimisation to meet the C2C standard, the products have nevertheless been enhanced with a new, future-friendly quality. And because they’re produced in large quantities, the sustainability benefits are considerable and can take effect at many different levels.
