6 ways to create a more sustainable home

Products to help create healthier, more sustainable homes.

At B&Q, we want to help everyone build a better home. And we know that the planet is home to all of us. So we're introducing more sustainable products to help build a better world.

Working with the sustainability charity Bioregional, our parent company, Kingfisher, has established a set of criteria against which products that help customers reduce their environmental impact can be assessed. These are our Sustainable Home Product criteria.

57% of our sales are from products which meet our Sustainable Home Products criteria.

Our target is for 70% of our sales to be from products which meet our Sustainable Home Products criteria by 2030.

A product may meet the Sustainable Home Product criteria because of what the product does (for example, insulation can help to lower your home’s energy consumption) or what the product is made of (for example, choosing peat free compost can help to protect delicate wetland wildlife habitats that would be damaged or degraded by peat harvesting).

These products fall under 6 principles, which you can apply in your home to reduce your environmental impact and potentially save money as well:

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1. Health & Wellbeing

Reducing the amount of chemicals your family is exposed to, getting more active, protecting your home. Products include smoke alarms, solvent free paints and non-toxic household chemicals.  

This category also includes products that can help you live independently at home – for example, grab rails for baths.

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2. Live smarter

Reducing, reusing, recycling.  

If we opt for products made from recycled materials, recycling becomes more economic.  

We can also choose products that minimise waste – like rechargeable batteries.

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3. Save energy

Keeping household energy bills down, addressing carbon emissions and using renewable energy.

Insulation, LED lighting, efficient kitchen appliances – and smart ways to monitor your energy consumption.

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4. Connect to nature

Supporting wildlife and growing produce to eat.

Choosing flowers that help support bees and butterflies can make a difference to the wildlife in your garden – as can creating habitats such as installing nest boxes. Even growing a few salad leaves or some fresh herbs in a pot can make a difference to your family’s food impact.

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5. More sustainable materials

Responsible sourcing of key materials such as wood and paper, metals such as aluminium and textiles.

Cork, jute and coir are examples of more sustainable natural materials.

saving water at home

6. Save water

Using water efficiently, using rainwater and protecting homes from flooding.

We have a huge range of water efficient toilets, taps and showers to choose from.

We also sell water capture devices such as water butts and water butt pumps that makes it easier to use rainwater for outdoor cleaning.

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