Did you know that one little urinal can use up to 150 000 litres a year? If you then consider that the population in the UK was 60,776,238 in 2007 and is expected to rise to 65 million by 2016, you can imagine how much water is wasted each year- in urinals alone.
A tiny blue cube known as the ‘eco-cube’ was developed by a firm named Eco Works and is proven to save 98% of the water we flush- how does it do it? By not flushing at all.
But before any nasty imaginings enter your mind, the eco cube is designed to in fact be even more hygienic than flushing and what’s more, it leaves a good smell- a men’s urinal that smells good…
The small cube, about 4 times the size of a dice and blue in colour is placed into the base of the urinal with you water supply turned off. The microbes in the cube will be released as the cube slowly dissolves over several weeks. Activated by a small amount of water splashed over it at the beginning of each day, the ‘eco-cube’ will break down organic matter and interrupt the bacterial digestion that produces nasty smells.
The cube is already preventing water waste in schools, pubs, clubs and corporations around the UK. By using the eco-cube and saving water waste, businesses can reduce costs, benefit the environment and demonstrate positive leadership. It will also mean that toxic and harmful cleaning products are no longer needed.
A Colliers International case study of their urinals using the ‘eco-cube’ in offices at 10 Pulteney Street, London found that their 18 floors complex has seen over the past12 months a water saving in the region of four million litres. The initiative has cost £3,200 and delivered water cost- savings and reduced plumbing costs of £8,200.
Brian Baldwin, manager of Musgrave Hill bowls club also has saved huge amounts of water, and money.
‘I was very pleased to note that our average daily water consumption had dropped by approximately 50%. We have achieved 6 monthly savings of approximately £1,000 on wastewater volume discharge fees.’
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