Hansgrohe is awarded the Enviroment Innovation Award at the 2009 KKB Awards

Hansgrohe UK lifts the trophy for Green Design at the kbbreview Industry Awards

At the annual kbb awards on Monday 11th May 2009, Hansgrohe, the leading shower and bathroom specialist, was delighted to be recipient of the ‘Environmental Innovation Award for Bathrooms’ for their Crometta 85 Green shower. Using the latest technology developed by the Hansgrohe spray mode laboratory in Germany, this shower combines devised flow regulation with central air intake to reduce water flow to just 6 litres per minute, compared with an average shower which uses 14 litres per minute at 3 bar pressure.

Iain McKinlay, managing director at Hansgrohe UK comments, “There is currently no branded shower that uses so little water while offering such good shower performance as the Hansgrohe Crometta 85 Green. This means that everyone can practise the sustainable use of water resources, even when under the shower.”

This year marked the 15th anniversary of the awards which remains an important event on the calendar to honour the best in design, product innovation and customer service in the kbb industry. Hansgrohe supports the event by sponsoring the category of Special Achievement Award. Presented by Jan Shepherd, Hansgrohe UK marketing manager, this year the trophy went to Lawrence Pigeon and Keith Atkins from Alternative Plans.

Just as the awards were nearing their close and the applause dying down, further celebration erupted on the Hansgrohe tables as Burge & Gunson were announced as Master Bathroom Retailer for 2009. Iain McKinlay comments ‘It was fantastic to see Barry Gunson go up and collect this award. Burge & Gunson is a family British success story; they have been a good Hansgrohe customer for a long time and over the years have developed an exemplary showroom. They were popular and very deserving winners.”

Eco-Friendly Design by Hansgrohe

More pleasure, less consumption has been the mantra at Hansgrohe for many years and in 2009 several marketing initiatives have been put in place to communicate this fact. Importantly, a key message for Hansgrohe is that choosing eco-friendly products does not mean compromising on performance or design.

The Company exhibited at Ecobuild in March 2009 and presented proof that the most prestigious designer labels can still be eco-conscious. Created by the celebrated French designer, Philippe Starck, the Axor Starck ShowerCollection 12x12cm basic module delivers high design with low water consumption (just 5 litres per minute). The basin mixer from the Axor Starck X collection with its calming waterfall style flow also saves water with a delivery of just 5 litres per minute (compared to the average of 7 litres per minute at 3 bar).


Hansgrohe also launched their EcoSmart brochure this year. For the first time, this catalogue pulls all information together into 28 pages describing the Company’s green manufacturing and management processes, energy and water-saving products and the philosophy in general towards the environment and the crucial topic of treating water as a precious resource.