Eco-design and products

Management approach

The use of natural resources and competition for increasingly scarce raw materials are steadily increasing worldwide. The production of high-quality, durable sanitary products, particularly the production of ceramic appliances, is resource-intensive.

Impacts, risks and opportunities

The consumption of finite raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products reduces the availability of (finite) resources. Furthermore, waste disposal along the entire value chain generates various emissions into the environment. The use of recycled materials could reduce the dependency on newly extracted or manufactured materials as well as waste volumes. However, the use of recycled materials entails risks for the company. On the one hand, the availability of recyclates is limited; on the other hand, their use carries the risk of a loss of quality and higher scrap rates.

High-quality, durable products are therefore the most important lever for Geberit in order to create added value for customers, society and environmental protection. The product design significantly impacts water, energy and resource consumption in both product manufacturing and the use phase.

All products have been developed consistently in line with the eco-design principle since 2007: seen across the entire life cycle – from obtaining the raw materials right through to disposal – each new product or product development should be better than its predecessor from an ecological perspective, and all without sacrificing on quality, functionality or durability. Eco-design covers all stages of the product life cycle and thus contributes to the circular economy, as can be seen in the figure.

Eco-design as a principle in product development at Geberit

In addition to selecting the most suitable materials and the continuous search for pollutant-free alternatives and resource-saving design, Geberit products are also characterised by their outstanding durability. Their service life often exceeds 50 years, for example in the case of plastic drainage pipes. They can be cleaned, maintained and repaired easily. Furthermore, the Swiss Group ensures the flush functionality of concealed cisterns for 50 years, meaning that the corresponding spare parts remain available for this duration (excluding specific functionalities of electronic products). The 25-year spare parts availability for a significant proportion of the rest of the product range also makes an important contribution to product longevity. In addition, a large proportion of the ceramic products come with a lifetime guarantee. Another quality feature of newly developed products and components is backwards compatibility. This means that older products can be upgraded with new components and functions (such as fill and flush valves, for example). All of these aspects play a decisive role in minimising the use of energy and resources, increasing the service life and useful life of the products, and closing material cycles. The packaging is also optimised as part of the eco-design process by using less material and continuously increasing the proportion of recycled materials.

Activities and examples

Since 2007, more than 200 eco-design workshops have been held as part of new and ongoing product development by the end of the reporting year. Environmentally relevant data is collected for future use and made available for digital planning via BIM (Building Information Modelling).

Current product examples:

• Acanto WC with TurboFlush – improved flushing-out performance thanks to optimised ceramic hydraulics, with minimal water consumption.
• The packaging of the newly introduced Alba shower toilet, as well as the Sela and Mera shower toilet models, has been reduced by about one-third. The smaller packaging enables more efficient stacking. For example, eight units of the Sela model can now be transported per pallet instead of the previous four. At the same time, around 450 g of paper per product is saved through the digitalisation of product documentation.
• Dual-flush units type 208 and type 212 for cisterns – flexible setting of the flush volume, backwards-compatible and allows for optimum flushing-out of the WC pan with minimal water consumption.
• Fill and flush valves for floor-standing WCs in the Nordic markets – with flush volumes of up to 4/2 litres and the share of plastic regranulate used exceeding 50%.
• Constant expansion of the range of rimless WC and urinal ceramics. The rimless design helps to simplify cleaning and cuts down on cleaning agents.
• ProTect Silent acoustic insulation panel for the prewall – fewer resources used compared with standard construction, good recyclability, and 60% of the material used comes from recycled PET bottles.
• SuperTube optimised building drainage system – lack of a ventilation pipe helps save materials and space in the building.
• The flow-optimised FlowFit piping system for drinking water and heating applications is ergonomically optimised. Only non-halogenated insulation materials are used for pre-insulated pipes.

Innovations and patents

Geberit makes significant investments in its own research and development. In 2024, 33 new patents were applied for, bringing the total to 163 in the last five years. For the development of new products and technologies, the company invested CHF 74 million (2.4% of net sales) in the reporting year, slightly more than in the previous year (CHF 70 million). Additionally, investments were made in tools and machinery for the manufacture of new products. The research and engineering teams use state-of-the-art technologies. Worthy of particular mention is the Building Technology and Acoustics Laboratory, which is designed for practical tests and measurements in the fields of statics and architectural acoustics. To achieve this, the four-storey building was acoustically isolated from the environment. The building’s design allows for multi-storey test installations, such as those for the SuperTube drainage system.

Environmental product declarations

Since 2012, the Group has been creating environmental product declarations (EPD) for individual products. These declarations for construction products in accordance with the European standard EN 15804+A2 present relevant, comparable and verified environmental data on products in a transparent manner. They are valid for five years and can be used for certification systems for sustainable building such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

By the end of the reporting year, the following products had a valid EPD: AquaClean Alba, Mera and Sela shower toilets, ceramic appliances, PE drainage pipes and fittings, Silent-db20, Silent-PP and Silent-Pro, FlowFit drinking water pipes and fittings, Mapress Stainless Steel, the Duofix WC installation element and the Sigma 01/10/20/30 actuator plates.

This means that products with an EPD now account for 42% of Group sales.

Labels

Geberit also advocates the economical use of water beyond processes and products. In 2017, the company was involved in the establishment of the Unified Water Label Association (UWLA; formerly European Bathroom Forum). The UWLA water label aims to support customers in the selection of resource-efficient products. The Group is committed to establishing clear assessment criteria that enable effective differentiation of water-saving products and contribute to achieving the EU targets for resource efficiency.

Wood from certified sustainable sources is used for around 96% of Geberit bathroom furniture.

For an overview of product development topics, see Business Report > Business and financial review > Financial Year 2024 > Innovation. For an overview of new products, see New products. For information on product quality and compliance, see GRI 416 and GRI 417.