Many people think that these 2 buttons are only used to flush the toilet. | March 29, 2025

Did you know that your toilet buttons don’t just flush waste? They also help conserve a precious resource: water.
How do dual flush buttons work?

Modern toilets with two buttons are designed to meet different needs:

The smallest button: It uses between 3 and 4.5 liters of water, perfect for evacuating liquid waste.
The largest button: It consumes about 6 to 9 liters of water, necessary to evacuate solid waste.

This design makes it possible to adapt water consumption, particularly daily waste.

Why is this innovation essential?
Significant water savings: A home equipped with a dual-flush toilet can save up to 20,000 liters of water per year compared to a conventional flush.
Reduced environmental impact: With such savings, water resources are preserved, a crucial gesture in a context of climate change and water stress.
The origin of the dual-flush concept

It was Victor Papanek, an American industrial designer, who presented this idea in 1976 in his book Design for the Real World. A few years later, in 1980, Australia became the first country to adopt this innovation on a large scale. Since then, it has spread throughout the world as an ecological and economical solution.

How to use it effectively?

The key to taking full advantage of dual flush is to use it according to your needs:

To urinate: Use the smaller button (often symbolized by a half-circle or a drop).
For solid waste: Press the larger button (often symbolized by a full circle or a thick line).

Read more in the next page