“It’s important that sanitation is not just seen as a challenge for developing countries but as something that every community has to face,” says Erin McCusker, senior vice-president and leader, Sato and Lixil Public Partners (LPP), Lixil, a global pioneer of water and housing products.
‘Sanitation isn’t just an issue for developing countries’: how a company is reinventing the loo Toilet technologies are ripe for a rethink, whether used in remote communities or closer to home where Victorian sewers can no longer cope.
“By cutting out the need to connect up to a sewage or water system, we are making this basic level of sanitation more affordable and accessible, and reducing the need for authorities to undertake expensive infrastructure projects.”.
Engineers are now fine-tuning the unit to improve the usability and lifespan, while reducing its overall size, minimising maintenance needs and working to bring down costs so that the toilet is affordable for consumers.
As development continues, the next prototype may go into testing within the next year, with a working product predicted to be on the market within three to five years.