Create a sustainable washroom by starting with a reduction in waste

In this article, Tom Marshall from Tork manufacturer Essity looks at various ways in which toilets around the world are becoming more sustainable and considers how a few simple changes can help to reduce waste in any public washroom.

Solar-powered toilets that use a closed-loop water system are currently being pioneered in South Africa. Created by Johannesburgbased Enviro Options, the system uses ozone along with a fine membrane to separate out waste and purify the water. This can then be reused indefinitely for flushing, which the company claims can result in water savings of 180,000 litres per month at each site.

Meanwhile, Phoenix Product Development claims its Propelair system has helped organisations across South Africa to reduce their annual water consumption by more than 80 percent. The system uses air to create a powerful flush using only 1.5 litres of water. Propelair units are now in operation in five South African provinces including Gauteng and the Western Cape.

Saving water is a key sustainability goal for washrooms across Africa. Other ways in which this can be achieved include the installation of automatic taps and by using dual-flush toilet systems that allow visitors to choose between a half or a full-flush option. And waterless urinals, too, have obvious water-saving advantages as well as requiring little maintenance and eliminating the issue of clogged drains.

But there is another commodity that is frequently wasted in the toilet: namely, paper. Reams of toilet tissue and huge numbers of hand towels are used in public washrooms every day, and efforts need to be made to limit their use where possible.

Many public washroom facilities are supplied with conventional toilet rolls because these are perceived to be a low-cost option. These rolls tend to be threaded on a simple wire holder or left piled up on the cistern.

As a result, they frequently end up on the washroom floor where they become wet, soiled and unusable. Some might end up down the toilets where they will cause expensive blockages, while others could be pilfered.

Jumbo toilet rolls have the advantage of being housed in lockable units that prevent people from taking them away or contaminating them before use. However, the dispensers need to be periodically checked to ensure that the supply has not been allowed to run out. And cleaners may be tempted to replace a roll before it has been completely used up to avoid having to make a repeat visit, a practice that can lead to a great deal of waste.

Tork SmartOne© toilet paper dispensers are a good option in public washrooms because they automatically limit the amount of paper that visitors can take out at any one time, while the unit protects the paper from contamination before use. As a result, the system can reduce consumption by up to 40 percent1 compared with jumbo roll dispensers.

Paper towels left lying loose in the washroom units will also lead to excess paper waste because people will drip their hands on to them, making them wet and soggy.

And a poorly designed hand-towel dispenser will bring its own problems. For example, C-fold dispensers make it difficult for the user to pull out a single towel at a time, which means visitors will take out clumps of towels, potentially discarding the unwanted ones.

Tork PeakServe® ContinuousTM Hand Towel dispensers are a better option since they give out sheets of paper one at a time and protect the towels from contamination before use. This helps to reduce waste while also discouraging washroom visitors from taking out