It is easy to overlook the benefits of portable restrooms. People living in developed nations have the advantage of indoor plumbing, sewer systems and waste treatment plants. However, natural disasters can cripple these systems and open the door to widespread contamination of water sources. Thankfully, this has not occurred due to the preparedness of portable restroom operators and local government agencies.
On a daily basis, portable restrooms are making a significant contribution to protect and preserve the environment and our natural resources. Approximately 125 million gallons* of fresh, drinkable water is saved each day by the portable restroom industry. On an annual basis, portable restrooms eliminate the cost and energy to run 45 billion gallons of water through expensive waste treatment plants. In an era when fresh water is becoming increasingly scarce this is a significant savings. The fact is operators who deploy restrooms and the people who use them are part of an important water conservation activity.
The portable sanitation industry is also responsible for saving thousands of gallons of fuel each day. Most people do not associate portable restrooms with saving fuel. At construction sites, parks, soccer fields, outdoor stadiums, recreational facilities and other locations where portable restrooms are provided, fuel is saved because it isn’t necessary to drive to a restroom facility.
Truly, a portable restroom is a green product… long before ‘green’ became fashionable. It is made of plastic and metal parts that can be recycled at the end of its life. It is also recyclable in the sense that it can be moved from site to site. For instance, it does not need to remain on a work site after the building project is complete. It can be “recycled” to a new location and provide service to a new group of individuals. This portability has eliminated the need to build permanent restroom facilities in places where they would eventually not be needed, which is another way natural resources have been saved.
These are only a few ways portable sanitation products & services have improved our health, safety, standard of living, and preservation of natural resources. Every time you see a portable restroom consider that the portable sanitation industry and YOU are helping to save lives and contributing to a healthier, safer world where natural resources are preserved and people can live in dignity.
Our goal at Satellite is to continue to provide products, education and other resources to areas of the world desperately in need of portable sanitation. Through the efforts of local portable restroom operators there is hope for a cleaner, safer world where sickness and disease are replaced with dignity and a higher quality of life.
* 125 million gallons saved calculation:
In countries with indoor plumbing, an average of 1.8 gallons of clean water is used to flush a toilet and around the world there are 2.2 million portable restrooms that average between twenty and thirty uses per day. Multiplied, that equates to 125 million gallons.