Sustainability in Action: How Industry Partnerships Are Shaping a Greener Future
In recent years, sustainable practices have gained real momentum, from new government regulations to households making greater efforts to recycle and reduce waste.
In this shift towards sustainability, the role of plumbing and engineering merchants is more important than ever. At Smith Brothers, we are actively working to reduce our carbon footprint, but we’re not doing it alone. Our supply chain partners have also shown a strong commitment to environmental responsibility. Here are just a couple of standout examples:
Xylem’s Watermark Programme
Xylem’s corporate social responsibility program, Watermark, works with nonprofit partners and volunteers (from colleagues to customers and partners) to provide access to clean water, sanitation, and education, supporting the development of resilient, water-secure communities. Watermark strives to provide access to sufficient, safe, and affordable water resources, promoting well-being, prosperity, and long-term sustainability for both current and future generations.
In 2024 alone, 79% of Xylem’s employees engaged in volunteering activities with an average time of 9.5 hours dedicated per employee! Also through the Watermark program, since 2019, > 12 million people have received water education and 154 water-related disasters have been responded to.
Watermark forms part of a wider sustainability plan devised by Xylem. Their 2024 sustainability report (linked here) describes their approach and performance on the sustainability topics that are of most interest to their stakeholders, including where Xylem can have the greatest impact.
Xylem’s Lowara brand is leading in pumps and drives, offering complete solutions for water supply, wastewater, HVAC and fire protection in agricultural, building services, commercial and industrial applications.
Lowara’s Ecocirc range is widely stocked across the Smith Brothers branch network. Ask in store for more information or view the range online at www.sbsonline.net/lowara
Lawton Tubes and the CuSP
Lawton Tubes has been working with the Copper Sustainability Partnership (CuSP) to challenge, educate and inform industry leaders about the benefits of copper. They aim to combat the overuse of plastics and support the businesses we work within, implementing a renewable solution for the future to safeguard the natural world.
Lawton’s has significantly reduced plastic packaging from their product offering by removing over 2 million plastic tube end caps from the supply chain.
The CuSP was developed by Lawton Tubes and Mueller Europe (two competing manufacturers), who have joined together to promote the environmental benefits of copper.
Click here to find out more about Lawton Tubes’ sustainability goals.
Find out more information about the Copper Sustainability Partnership (CuSP) here.
