Building the Perfect Eco-Friendly Bathroom

These days, being environmentally friendly is more than just a water or energy-saving choice - it's a practical move that saves money without sacrificing quality. And when it comes to your bathroom, there are eco-friendly improvements to be made at every turn. From the shower and toilet to the faucet and lighting, when it comes to building the ultimate "green" bathroom, you have plenty of options.

Showers

You use it every day, so shouldn't you make your shower as efficient as possible? Hansgrohe, one of the true global leaders in residential and commercial plumbing fixtures, features its EcoAIR handshower and showerhead. Using something called AIR-injection technology, these fixtures make their flow rate of just 1.6 gallons per minute (gpm) feel like 2.5 gpm.

Toilets

The average household flushes each toilet five times a day. At an average rate of 3.5 gallons per flush (gpf), that's 17.5 gallons of precious water. Swapping out your older money pit with a new eco-friendly fixture that uses just 1.28 gpf saves over 11 gallons EVERY DAY.

American Standard and Kohler both offer a dual flush option on many of its toilets. American Standard has a full complement of toilets that use just 1.28 gpf, and Kohler's fixtures give you the option of 1.4 or 1.6 gpf-certainly either one is a fine option.

Lavatory Faucets

Whether you leave the water on while you brush your teeth or not (really, do people STILL do this?), your bathroom faucet is another ideal place to begin conserving water. Moen and Elements of Design feature dozens of eco-friendly lavatory faucets with flow rates right around 2.0 gpm.

Tankless Water Heaters

We've talked about these before, but it bears repeating: Tankless water heaters save you water (and money) by heating water only when you need it while never running out of it. As long as there's a continual flow of water, a tankless water heater will always heat it.

Bosch and Stiebel Eltron are two of the most trusted names in the industry. Just imagine instant warm water when you're washing your face at the sink and your Hansgrohe shower never running out of hot water.

Lighting

When you think about your bathroom, don't forget about the lighting. Imagine going through your morning and nightly routines without it. Not pretty. ENERGY STAR-rated lighting fixtures help you save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

SeaGull Lighting and Progress Lighting are just two examples of manufacturers that are committed to providing energy-efficient bathroom lighting.

So there you have it. It's simple to create your dream bathroom and make it an eco-friendly oasis at the same time. It just takes a little planning, some research and the desire to help make a difference.

Sean Murphy is a marketing copywriter for Build.com, one of the largest online home improvement companies. Build.com offers a huge range of home improvement products, such as plumbing, lighting, door hardware and ventilation, as well as home decor. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.