Chicago Faucets and Geberit North America have worked to enhance the market for water efficient products, programs and practices while protecting the future of our nation's water supply. This year the brands are celebrating their 15-year partnership with the US EPA and the WaterSense program.
Chicago Faucets
Chicago Faucets is dedicated to innovating for sustainability and offers a wide selection of independently certified WaterSense listed products that meet stringent criteria. The company manufactures the widest assortment of faucets with equivalent or superior performance commercial faucets that are 20 percent more water-efficient than conventional models, realize water savings on a national level, provide measurable results, achieve water efficiency through several technology options. These faucets are used in hospitals, universities, offices, laboratories, and other commercial and government facilities.
Most recently, Chicago Faucets introduced the efficient and hygienic Auto-Drain Shower System for hospitals with 1.5 GPM showerheads that meet the California Title 20 water-efficiency standards.
Geberit North America
Geberit in North America provides concealed systems for wall-hung and floor-mounted toilets and fixtures that improve the look of bathrooms by hiding plumbing hardware, resulting in more usable space, improved hygiene and better accessibility.
Geberit's dual-flush plumbing products when used with the appropriate toilets can qualify for EPA WaterSense rebates or green building points. They accompany the Geberit in wall tank systems for wall-hung toilets and are easy to use while reinforcing behavior changes that save water. Geberit in wall carrier systems with dual-flush are popular in hotels, condominiums, residences, commercial bathrooms and modular construction. Built-in 1.6/0.8 GPF (6/3 LPF) or 1.28/0.8 GPF (4.8/3 LPF) dual-flush lowers water bills. Designers, contractors and homeowners can utilize the EPA WaterSense Product Search to find the water saving compliant toilet combinations with Geberit tanks or see the Geberit Clean Design brochure.
California Energy Commission (CEC) and CalGreen
The CEC requires that manufacturers meet state and federal standards for energy and water efficiency. Both Chicago Faucets and Geberit products are listed in the California Energy Commission (CEC) Appliance Efficiency Database by Brand search. California has also created a state green building code (CalGreen) for non-residential buildings that requires a reduction in water consumption by at least 20%. Chicago Faucets offers over 200 CalGreen compliant products with low flow from 0.35 GPM to 1.5 GPM that are identified in its website. Geberit products also help meet CalGreen.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Richard Nortier, Director of Marketing states, “Chicago Faucets is proud to be a partner with WaterSense. Both the Chicago Faucet Company along with our parent company in Europe, the Geberit Group take sustainability seriously. In addition to engineering and manufacturing hundreds of water efficient products, we practice the three Rs Reduce, Reuse, Recycle in all our facilities.”
Chicago Faucets is committed to reducing its environmental impact by monitoring electricity, natural gas, water and the amount of waste going to landfill. In the company’s Milwaukee foundry alone, the amount of landfill waste has been reduced by 60% on an annual basis. A significant amount - 98% of its scrap brass is recycled. Internally Chicago Faucets recycles more than 20 tons per year.
Since CFC utilizes a clean, virgin alloy manufacturing process, the scrap can be returned as ingot for casting. The faucet manufacturer also recycled over 600 tons of brass with outside partners. Since brass is a valuable resource, the company invites customers join its recycling efforts by taking retired Chicago Faucets fittings to an appropriate recycling facility. (Visit the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries website to find a recycler in your area.)
High Ratings
For the second year running, the Geberit Group has been awarded a Platinum rating for its sustainability management from EcoVadis, one of the world’s largest providers of business sustainability ratings. Geberit is in the top one per cent of companies listed by EcoVadis.
Geberit consistently implements eco-design principles of its new products from the selection of raw materials to disposal; the company also takes measures that successively reduce water consumption. This includes reusing water in laboratories and during the production process. For information on Geberit's American product offering, visit geberitnorthamerica.com.
Chicago Faucets is also a member of the US Green Building Council, and a charter sponsor of Alliance for Water Efficiency. Hundreds of its products meet Buy America Act, WaterSense, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and CALGreen.
Chicago Faucet products are certified by ANSI accredited organizations such as IAPMO, ICC-ES, ASSE, UL and CSA. For additional information visit chicagofaucets.com.