toilets

SaTo Hygienic Toilet Pans, Invented by Subsidiary American Standard Brands, Provide Interim Solution to Sanitation Problems

LIXIL Corporation, a global leader in the housing products and building materials industry, announced that in collaboration with American Standard Brands, its wholly owned subsidiary in the U.S., it supplied UNICEF Philippines with 10,000 SaTo hygienic toilet pans to support reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan.

SaTo – pronounced SAH-toh, derived from “Safe Toilet” – is a sanitary toilet pan designed by American Standard Brands for use in Bangladesh. It works without sewer infrastructure and uses ingeniously simple mechanical and water seals to close off pit latrines from the open air, reducing the transmission of disease. LIXIL and American Standard collaborated to donate these pans to the Philippines, where UNICEF estimates that as many as 4 million children may be affected by the disaster. UNICEF intends to employ the toilet pans as an interim solution until the sewage system in the area can be rebuilt.

“We are delighted UNICEF will be using the toilet pans to effectively improve sanitation in the disaster-stricken area. Improving world sanitation is a key corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative for LIXIL,” said Harumi Matsumura, executive officer and senior managing director, public relations, CSR and environmental for Lixil.

This commitment to supporting the area is in addition to the 10 million JPY ― nearly $100,000 in U.S. dollars ― and 10,000 plates, bowls and spoons donated immediately after the typhoon struck in November 2013.

In addition to emergency responses such as these, LIXIL is implementing the “ISIS 2018” Project, as part of a wider program focused on improved sanitation with UNICEF. This initiative was formalized in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two organizations in November 2013.

Victoria Bolam, global brand and CSR director for Lixil, explained that the Improved Sanitation In Schools 2018 (ISIS 2018) program will provide improved sanitation facilities and education to 2,018,000 school children worldwide by the end of 2018. A minimum of 44,000 children will benefit from sanitation education and basic sanitation kits in the Philippines in 2014, and 16,000 school children in rural schools in China will receive new toilet facilities in July 2014.

“LIXIL’s most challenging ISIS project is the installation of eco-sanitation toilet systems in schools located in the poorest and most marginalized communities in Mukuru, Nairobi. These involve design, construction, education, maintenance, compost manufacture and compost sales. The first system will be installed at the beginning of April this year, and will benefit up to 400 children,” said Bolam. “Improved sanitation is not just about toilets. It is about improved health, education, safety, and, most importantly, dignity. We are committed to finding workable, scalable solutions which provide an impactful solution to this global issue,” she concluded.

Useful information: LIXIL CSR Activities

• UN World Toilet Day with launching of ISIS 2018     http://global.lixil.co.jp/pdf/20131118_WTD.pdf
• LIXIL to Launch JICA Project in Kenya               http://global.lixil.co.jp/pdf/20140123_JICA_kenya.pdf

American Standard Brands announced its recent participation as an exhibitor at the Reinvent the Toilet Fair: India event, which was co-hosted by the Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. American Standard displayed an affordable, aspirational sanitation product designed to meet the needs of people in Sub-Saharan Africa, where water is scarce.

The goal of the Reinvent the Toilet Fair: India was to stimulate discussion and spur partnerships to improve global sanitation and bring affordable sanitation solutions to people who need it most. Also supported by the Indian Ministry of Urban Development, the fair served as an opportunity to recognize India’s leadership and commitment to improving child health and fostering innovative solutions to persistent development challenges. The American Standard project was one of approximately 50 exhibits on display during the two-day, invitation-only fair.

Funded by a grant from the Gates Foundation, a team of American Standard engineers visited Zambia and Kenya in the fall of 2013 to learn more about the sanitation inadequacies in this part of the world where there is a shortage of water. The company’s goal was to create a sanitation solution that enabled simple construction of a more hygienic latrine, improved the user experience, and supported a sustainable business model. This effort was modeled after American Standard’s previous success inventing the SaTo, a cost-effective sanitary toilet pan.This product employs ingeniously simple mechanical and water seals to reduce disease transmission by closing off pit latrines from the open air, for use in rural Bangladesh where no sewer infrastructure exists. This initiative also included the company’s Flush for Good campaign, aimed at raising awareness of the global sanitation crisis.

“Of the 1.1 billion people who defecate in the open, almost 60 percent are Indian,” said Professor K. VijayRaghavan, secretary of the Indian Department of Biotechnology. “Sanitation solutions using the latest technology need not be complex or driven by expensive gadgetry, but they need to be innovative and address the many aspects of this multifaceted problem.”

“Today, because of a lack of toilets and poorly functioning infrastructure, massive amounts of untreated waste winds up in the environment, spreading disease,” said Brian Arbogast, director of the Water, Sanitation & Hygiene team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We are privileged to host the Reinvent the Toilet Fair: India with our partners to advance conversations about sanitation – it is a testament to the Indian government’s commitment to improving how we deal with this pressing problem.”

Lack of adequate sanitation facilities affects 40 percent of the world’s population, with 1.2 billion people worldwide practicing open defecation. Each day, 2,000 people die from water and sanitation related diseases – most of them are children. To help alleviate the critical lack of safe sanitation facilities specifically in India, American Standard and its manufacturing partner, RFL Plastics, will  make SaTo pans available in this country for an affordable cost, with the goal of building a sustainable business that will ensure future availability of this life-saving product.

“American Standard is committed to working with communities around the world to develop safe and affordable sanitation solutions,” said Jay Gould, president and CEO of American Standard. “We believe this important work will accomplish a great deal towards helping achieve the United Nations’ 2015 Millennium Development Goal of reducing by half the proportion of people who lack safe drinking water and basic sanitation by the year 2015.”

For more information on the Flush For Good campaign or the Reinvent the Toilet Fair, visit www.flushforgood.com.

High-Efficiency Plumbing Products Are Now the American Standard, Providing Superior Performance While Helping to Sustain Nation’s Water Resources

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (March 20, 2014) – Americans have saved more than 18 trillion gallons of water — roughly the volume of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay — by embracing low-flow toilet technology over the past two decades since the U.S. enacted the 1992 Energy Policy Act (EPAct) that mandated less water per flush, according to the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE). That’s hard to imagine, but it is enough water to fill 27 million Olympic size swimming pools.

Since 1994, when the 1992 EPAct legislation took effect, innovative toilet technology has transitioned the nation from a water-guzzling 3.5 gallons per flush (gpf) to a low-flow 1.6 gpf toilet diet and, more recently, toward high efficiency 1.28 gpf models. In the process, the amount of water consumed has been reduced by more than half, with usage rates down by 54 percent and 63 percent, respectively. These savings have been impactful, as toilets represent the single largest source of water consumption in a home, accounting for nearly one-third of residential water use, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In addition, today’s commercial fixtures are squeezing even more performance out of each drop, offering 1.1 gpf toilets that yield a 31 percent savings over standard 1.6 gpf toilets, and urinals that operate with a meager 0.25 gpf, and cut water use by as much as 87 percent over standard urinals.

“As we mark the EPAct’s 20th anniversary, it’s important to appreciate the significant water usage efficiencies that smart plumbing technology has brought our nation,” said Jay Gould, president and CEO of American Standard Brands. “As much of the nation faces the worst drought in half a century, it is heartening to look back upon twenty years of this successful water conservation policy and realize the enormous volume of water saved by highly efficient plumbing products.”

The estimated 18.2 trillion gallons in cumulative water savings that has resulted from the use of low-flow toilets highlights how water conservation policies, such as the 1992 EPAct, impact and help sustain the nation’s water supplies, noted Mary Ann Dickinson, president and CEO of Chicago-based AWE, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to the efficient and sustainable use of water.

“These toilets help save an estimated 4.6 billion gallons of water each and every day in the U.S.,” said Dickinson. “When you add in the further water reductions achieved by high efficiency 1.28 gpf toilets, the savings are even more outstanding. Water is the critical resource issue of our time, and smart water conservation policies work to ensure that we have sustainable supplies for the future.”

The Road to High-Performing Toilet Technology

During the early 1990s, when water use restrictions first took effect, plumbing product manufacturers struggled to produce low-flow toilets that could effectively remove all waste with only 1.6 gallons of water, prompting frustration among users who resorted to counterproductive double-flushing. However, by 1998, toilet manufacturers had successfully modified flushing systems to remove waste using less water.

As the first decade of low-flow technology drew to a close, a flushing evaluation system would be introduced that changed the industry. Maximum Performance (MaP) testing was implemented in 2003 to measure the amount of solid waste removed per flush. This independent testing program inspired toilet producers to strive for the highest rating of successfully flushing 1,000 grams (2.2 lbs.) of solid waste.

In 2006, to drive even greater water savings, the EPA created WaterSense, a partnership program modeled after the EnergySTAR labeling program to help assure consumers that products will conserve and perform as promised. WaterSense-certified toilets use 20 percent less water than low-flow models, while providing strong flushing power. Commode makers were motivated to create high efficiency toilets (HETs) that used only 1.28 gpf while delivering strong flushing performance.

The American Standard Champion PRO series toilets are a perfect example. Offering a powerful flush that can easily remove 1,000 grams of solid waste, the Champion PRO models use only 1.28 gpf, meeting the rigorous WaterSense-certification standards.

Water Savings throughout the Bathroom

Toilets aren’t the only bathroom products constantly evolving and being held to more stringent water usage requirements. All American Standard bathroom sink faucets use only 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm) and are WaterSense-certified for using 32 percent less water than standard 2.2 gpm styles, without sacrificing performance. Further supporting the use of water saving faucets, the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) reported that almost half of the designers responding to its annual 2014 Kitchen and Bath Design Trends survey specified water-saving faucets and fixtures in 2013. Forty-four percent predicted that the demand will grow for water-saving bathroom products throughout 2014, according to the NKBA.

To support its belief in water savings in the entire bathroom, the company conducted a real-life test in 21 homes in the Atlanta suburbs in 2010. The study measured pre- and post-water usage after WaterSense-certified toilets, bathroom faucets and showerheads from American Standard were installed in the residences. Water savings ranged from 20 to 25 percent, plus lowered energy costs and water bills. In a follow-up survey performed in early 2014, residents reported continued satisfaction with the performance of their water-conserving faucets and fixtures, specifically citing the excellent flushing power of the HETs installed in their homes.

Every Home, Every Family Can Save Water

·  National Savings: If every American home with older, less efficient toilets replaced them with low-flow units using 1.6 gpf, it would save nearly 640 billion gallons of water every year. Since the program’s inception in 2006, WaterSense has helped consumers save a cumulative487 billion gallons of water and over $8.9 billion in water and energy bills by using water efficient plumbing fixtures.

·  Environmental Savings: Water efficiency standards have helped reduce the amount of energy needed to heat, pump and treat water by 64.7 billion kilowatt hours, according to the EPA. Further, these water saving regulations have also helped to eliminate 24 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equal to planting 606 million trees.

·  The Familial Flush: According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), a family of four using a single, high efficiency, 1.28 gpf toilet can save 8,760 gallons of water every year. In addition, the average household can save nearly $200 on water and sewer bills per year by installing water efficient fixtures, according to the EPA.

“American Standard is privileged to have been a part of this amazing water savings accomplishment ― conserving over 18 trillion gallons of water in the U.S over the past two decades,” concluded Gould. “It’s all part of our company’s efforts to raise the standards in bringing innovative solutions and technical leadership to the plumbing industry and our world. It’s been part of our company’s heritage for over 140 years.”