By Sarah Schwager
A YEAR of product development has won a Narre Warren business a nomination for a water industry sustainability award.
EnviroFresh Australia has been recognised for a lowcost watersaving product it has developed for the local market.
The SaniSleeve, has been designed to minimise public bathroom water waste, improve hygiene in men’s urinals, replace harmful chemical use and eliminate smells.
EnviroFresh Australia marketing and sales manager Larry Brown said the SaniSleeve would yield big savings on water use.
The product, still in its early stages in Australia, has attracted a Savewater! Award, an initiative of Victorian regional and metropolitan water businesses.
It will be judged this month in the category of product innovation, rewarding the development and commercialisation of a product that minimises portable water consumption.
Mr Brown said the SaniSleeve had been successful in the places it had been set up, including several councils.
He said the product, inserted straight into the urinal and replaced every three months, has an auto timer and only flushes four times a day, reducing water usage by 96 per cent.
“In a school with 150 boys you could save 250,000 litres of water a year with one push button system,” he said.
“If you start to multiply that out you are looking at a lot of water savings.”
Mr Brown said the SaniSleeve was full of beneficial bacteria and enzymes, which could stop blockages as well as any odours and was a great alternative to urinal cakes.
The Narre Warren company Austwide Distribution Services is run by Mr Brown and his business partner Greg Williamson, a plumber.
Mr Brown said the company was handling all development, installations, marketing, maintenance, sales and distribution to suit the Australian market on behalf of EnviroFresh, a UK company.
He said while the product was still in its early stages, the awards would open up doors.
“Statistics show that 60,000 urinals are installed every year,” he said.
