ABU DHABI // Kitchen and bathroom fittings that use water more efficiently will soon be able to display their green credentials.
Taps, shower heads, bidets and lavatories will be evaluated in the next two months.
The Water Efficient Fixtures Conformity Scheme is voluntary but products that rate well will be able to display a logo.
"The Trustmark for Environmental Performance will help consumers identify products that meet the sustainability criteria," said Salem Al Qassimi of the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council.
"Consumers can make a choice between an environmentally sustainable product that meets quality standards and a product that does not comply with those standards."
So far, 10 makers have applied to have their products rated.
"We are currently in the review stage," Mr Al Qassimi said. "Within a month or two, we can see a product that has the environmental trust mark."
The average daily water use in Abu Dhabi is 550 litres a person.
The conformity council is preparing other rating schemes, including one to evaluate sustainable paints.
Mr Al Qassimi said these were "lead-free and contain acceptable levels of volatile organic compounds, chemicals which are emitted as gases from solids and which can be toxic".
High levels of such chemicals can lead to eye, throat and nose irritation, and kidney and liver damage in more serious cases.
Some of the chemicals are suspected carcinogens.
Abu Dhabi's review standards for paints have already been developed and are weeks away from being shared with the industry.
"The technical teams of different manufacturers will review the scheme and test their products against it to see how they fare," Mr Al Qassimi said.
Industry representatives will be invited to comment over a period of two months.
The council is also looking into developing standards for food packaging, in conjunction with other government agencies.
vtodorova@thenational.ae
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