FEATURE
Sustainablewashrooms
Sustainable washrooms that minimise water use or generate their own energy are being developed but, in the meantime, washroom hygiene companies are making their own efforts to reduce paper consumption and improve washroom sustainability in other important ways. Lee Radzki from Tork manufacturer Essity explains how.
A no–flush outside toilet was one of the exhibits on display at the Venice Architecture Biennale event in June this year. Instead of flushing away the waste in the usual way, the unit processes it by converting it into compost in a hay-filled container. Not only does this eliminate the need for water, it also recirculates the waste back into the ecosystem.
Meanwhile in India, designers have created what they believe to be the world’s first toilet made entirely from wholly recyclable materials. The model has been unveiled in Amritsar and its constituents include PVC pipes and Silica Plastic Blocks, which are made from a combination of foundry dust and single use waste plastic.
Closer to home in Scotland, researchers at the University of Stirling have developed a toilet that is connected to an anaerobic digester. This converts human waste into biogas which can be used as a clean cooking fuel.
The lavatories at a university in Ulsan, South Korea, are currently reducing the institution’s energy usage while at the same time helping to grow plants. The eco-friendly conveniences break down waste into methane – which is powering the university’s appliances – and manure which is being spread on the campus gardens as fertiliser.
These types of developments are significant because washrooms are notoriously un-environmental spaces. Vast
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quantities of water are normally used to flush away the waste, while high levels of energy are required to heat and light the facilities.
Items such as wet wipes and sanitary products are often flushed down the toilet where they will go on to block sewers and pollute the oceans, and a great deal of paper is used in the washroom in the form of toilet tissue and hand towels.
Washroom hygiene companies are conscious of these issues and are doing everything they can to enhance the sustainability of the toilet. For example, waterless urinals are becoming fairly commonplace in public facilities. Besides their water-saving advantages, these are also said to require little maintenance and eliminate the issue of clogged drains.
Dual flush toilet systems that allow visitors to choose between a half or a full-flush option are also becoming the norm in public washrooms. Contemporary taps are often designed to turn on and off automatically, to prevent washroom users from leaving them running and wasting water.
The use of paper can also be reduced by introducing systems designed to prevent overconsumption and that discourage washroom visitors from taking out more paper than they need. For example, the Tork PeakServe Continuous Hand Towel gives out individual sheets of paper, while the Tork SmartOne toilet paper dispenser reduces
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