Sustainable by design

Marketing communications and customer service manager, Europe for InSinkErator

Anne Kaarlela says sustainability will have a greater influence on the kitchen industry in 2023

At InSinkErator, we predict that sustainability and environmental issues will have an increased effect on the kitchen industry in 2023. The Government has announced that by 2023, every UK household will receive separate weekly food waste collections. Having a separate food waste collection can mean smelly food waste accumulates in the kitchen, therefore kitchen specialists may witness an increase in demand for alternative food waste solutions for the home, such as a food waste disposer.

Food waste disposers provide a great opportunity to independent kitchen specialists and are an easy add-on to any sink, furniture or kitchen sale, generating valuable additional turnover. Not encouraging or promoting sales is both an opportunity and margin missed.

Saving energy

Furthermore, according to a Green Homes report, energy efficiency is the most important feature that consumers are considering when purchasing a new home. Therefore, energy-saving products that can reduce resource use and subsequent utility bills are in high demand, especially as energy costs continue to rise. This, consequently, is a huge opportunity for kitchen specialists to discuss energy-saving products that offer longterm savings with their customers.

Due to the media exposure of the energy price increases and subsequent advice shared on how to save energy, consumers are increasingly becoming aware of the energy saving benefits that a highly efficient appliance can offer, especially those who are working from home and are boiling the kettle more often. According to the Energy Saving Trust, 40% of households boil the kettle at least four times a day, with 75% admitting to boiling more water than they need, accounting for a significant amount of water and energy wasted every year.

Consumers can save water, energy and time with a steaming hot water tap, or combination tap. By instantly dispensing just the right amount of filtered steaming hot water needed, a specialist kitchen tap can save energy while eliminating the time lost waiting for the kettle to boil. Retailers should take the opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of owning a combination tap, highlighting the convenience of having readily available steaming hot water or filtered water in the home

Advice for retailers

At InSinkErator, we believe that product training and demonstrations are so important for increasing awareness of the product category and educating retailers on all aspects, including the sustainable benefits offered. We encourage retailers to participate in any training offered by manufacturers and to ask questions on the topic of sustainability, especially if they are daunted by the subject. Retailers should request quantifiable and easy-to-understand evidence on the sustainable benefits of the products, that they can then share with their customers with authority.

The tools we armour our retailers with include brochures, which are provided in both digital and print formats, information sheets and images. We also provide an array of counter displays and POS to highlight the products to consumers. Furthermore, we have a large range of videos including “How a disposer works” and “How to fit a Food Waste Disposer”, which retailers can use to show customers the benefits in a concise format.