Here Are The Ways Our Restroom Buildings Are Environmentally Friendly
Our company was founded on the idea that being efficient could open doors and allow us to bring restrooms to places that otherwise wouldn’t be able to have them. As it turns out, the drive to be efficient goes hand in hand with green technology. We’ve always been looking for ways to make our restrooms green. Here are some of the ways we are doing that:
Our Restrooms Offer Solar Power
We need electrical power to live our modern lives. This is non-negotiable. Yet this is also a huge problem when dealing with the subject of climate change. Electricity generation makes up 25% of all emissions in the US, nearly as much as all forms of transportation combined. About 60% of total electricity generation in 2020 was produced from fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum) or other CO2 producing substances.
The good news is that this percentage is dropping thanks to advancements in clean energy such as solar power. However, environmental ethics are not the only reason to favor solar as an option. Other benefits of solar include:
- It saves you money! The more you can supplement your energy needs with solar, the smaller your energy bill.
- Solar is more practical than traditional electrical for restrooms that are remotely located far from power sources. A great deal of restroom buildings would fit this description.
- Solar energy can be used to heat the interior of our restrooms and provide warm sink water.
- Solar can be converted to 120 volt AC power (used for other purposes such as hand dryers, etc).
Water Conservation, Reuse, And Collection
In many places, water use is of particularly high concern. In the southwest, major cutbacks and rationing of water are only a matter of time. For those who are operating in such a troubled area, please know that our restrooms are designed to conserve water in several ways:
- Our toilets flush efficiently, reducing water consumption up to 50% compared to conventional flush toilets.
- Our sinks have metered flow (adjusted for ten seconds length). This keeps the average water usage to a low and consistent amount. Compared to sinks that are allowed to run, this adds up to a big difference.
- We offer waterless urinals. Ever wonder why most urinals need water? It’s because the water in the base acts as a seal to block odors. In a waterless urinal, a cartridge containing oil creates the same sealing effect. Waterless urinals achieve the same effect while using literally zero water.
- The traditional water-based urinals we use are efficient as well, using only .125 gallons per flush.
- In places where rainfall is plentiful, we offer rainwater collection which is used to help supplement the water supply. This means truck hauls are needed less frequently for buildings without a direct water line connection. Like solar, this has the added benefit of saving money.
- Overall, drinking water and wastewater systems account for approximately 2 percent of energy use in the United States, adding over 45 million tons of greenhouse gases annually. Using less water therefore means less energy is consumed in those processes, and less greenhouse gasses produced.
Modular Construction Is More Efficient
Our restrooms come from modular construction, which is more resource efficient and therefore produces less waste to send to a landfill than traditional construction.
No Significant Ground Disturbance
Some areas do not allow for significant ground disturbance for environmental reasons. Some examples of this include archeological sites or areas where there may be toxic materials below the ground. Our installations produce minimal ground disturbance due to a small excavation footprint and because our restrooms do not require trenching.
Low Carbon Contribution
The manufacturing of concrete is a massive contributor to greenhouse gasses. Our restrooms use low carbon concrete where available.
Additionally, our company is partnered with Terrapass to offset carbon emissions from transporting the restrooms, office use, travel, and commuting.
No Contamination
We have safeguards that ensure waste can never spill on site. This is noteworthy since other waste disposal systems, namely septic, can fail and contaminate the environment. Ours never will.
Different clients have different needs. If having a restroom that is as environmentally friendly as possible is something important to you, let us know. We’ll do everything possible to make that ambition a reality.