Luxe meets green in a Cradle to Cradle first
Published
Overlooking Berlin Zoo, the suites of the 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin curate the sustainability ethos in an entirely unique and dynamic aesthetic. Think natural fabrics and materials, jewel-hued colours, curves and cushions, spa-like bathrooms and hammocks with views over urban greenery.
The approach goes far deeper than the surface too, with a thoughtful approach to retaining, upcycling and reviving materials applied during the recent refurbishment. The hotel partnered with leading German manufacturer of bathroom solutions, Kaldewei, to demonstrate the application of circular economy principles.
In a ground-breaking pilot project, Kaldewei took back used bathtubs and shower bases, and refurbished them to improve safety and enhance the visual aesthetic. This Cradle to Cradle stewardship of precious resources is an example of the manufacturer’s ethos, which it describes as ‘luxstainability’ – a symbiosis of luxury and sustainability.
The bathroom products are 100 percent plastic free and made of enamelled steel, with the enamelling process undertaken at the manufacturer’s own facilities in Germany. Only steel and natural glass made from minerals and sand are used in the enamel, ensuring a toxin-free, lasting and distinctively beautiful finish.
For the 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin project, Kaldewei received back from the hotel all of the existing Superplan shower bases and Kaldewei bathtubs which had been in use at the establishment for a decade. This required careful dismantling of both bathtub installations and shower installations and represented a substantial product take-back.
A specially developed upcycling process was used which included carefully sandblasting the used items to remove the existing coating, then re-finishing them at Kaldewei’s Ahlen facility. The new finish for the shower bases also utilised a special enamel anti-slip surface Kaldewei Secure Plus, which increases stability under the shower and provides additional safety for guests and the hotel management and cleaning staff.
The products were then transported back to the hotel and re-installed. The resulting bright, glossy, perfect bathroom fixtures have a much smaller environmental footprint than would have been the case with procurement of all-new fixtures.
It has been estimated the remanufacturing of the products, including dismantling, transport and re-installation, resulted in 65 percent less carbon emissions than would have been generated by the production and installation of new products.
This may be the first time a bathroom products manufacturer has implemented Cradle to Cradle remanufacturing on such a large scale.
“With this project, we are showing that the circular economy is not a concept for tomorrow, but can be successfully implemented today,” explains Jakob Klingenberg, Key Account Manager Project Management at Kaldewei.
“As a pioneer in the industry, we are sending out a clear message: durable products can remain valuable even at the end of their useful life – and can actually be reused as refurbished products.”
The good news for Australian designers, specifiers and environmentally responsible builders is Kaldewei products are available for Australian projects through local distributor, Bathe.
Since 1995 Bathe has been importing and distributing premium European bathroomware for discerning residential, hospitality, commercial and retail projects. The Kaldewei bathtubs, shower bases and sinks are a star of their range, embodying the ethos of design driven, innovative and sustainable products that underpins Bathe’s curation approach.
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