As people shift to more sustainable practices, eco-friendly portable toilets can not be overlooked. The use of portable toilets has drastically increased in outdoor events, construction sites, or other temporary facilities that provide a mobile alternative. But since it is portable, the responsibility of keeping the surroundings should be addressed.
The best way to keep portable toilets eco-friendly is to ensure they are adequately ventilated and frequently cleaned.
Frequently cleaning and maintaining portable toilets is essential not just to maintain hygiene but also to ensure everyone on the site is comfortable.
So how can you ensure the cleanliness of the portable toilets? Here is a guide with tips to keep portable toilets and rental restrooms odor-free, clean, and eco-friendly.
From regular cleaning to frequent sanitization, this guide entails all the essential cleaning tips to make your portable washrooms smell and look great, even on rentals.
What are Portable Toilets?
Portable toilets also known as Port-a-potties or Porta-Johns, they are portable washrooms or restroom facilities that you can relocate or move anywhere. They are self-contained and can be used for temporary resting facilities. You can install them anywhere you want in just a few minutes.
These toilets are now increasingly popular at construction sites and for our grand events to facilitate the guests.
They work on a simple gravity-based system; The waste accumulates in the bottom with the internally equipped deodorizer to fight back foul odor.
Some toilets also come with enzyme-based waste disinfectant, which fights back the odor and facilitates solid waste breakdown.
Are Portable Toilets Environmental Friendly?
Yes, the portable toilets are eco-friendly. This is why it has been increasingly popular for outdoor use.
One of the most significant aspects that makes it eco-friendly is that portable toilets conserve water compared to traditional toilets, which generally consume 1.6 gallons of water per flush.
They also convert whatever gets flushed into compost, thus making it more environmentally friendly. In addition, they are recyclable, and you do not have to install them, thus protecting the environment from destruction.
How to Make Portable Toilets Eco-Friendly
Discover ways to make portable toilets eco-friendly by conserving water and reducing chemical usage.
Choose Environmentally Friendly Portable Toilet Solutions
There are many alternatives to portable toilet rentals available in the markets. Consider renting mobile restroom solutions that cater to sustainable and greener needs.
One of the most environmentally portable restroom solutions is solar-powered portable toilets. They use solar energy as an alternative to electricity, thus reducing energy emissions and adding to the positive carbon footprint. The reliance on solar-powered portable washrooms also reduces the operational cost.
In addition, the waterless urinals are also an excellent option to use as it preserves water.
Implement Water Conservation Techniques
Water is the most scarce natural resource, and the toilets utilize most of it first to sanitize and then for adequate drainage.
But you can save water by considering those portable solutions that consume the least or cause less water wastage. Now, the portable toilets come with a low-flow flush toilet system, which consumes less water than traditional portable restrooms. Despite some inherent problems of low-flow flush toilets, they serve as an excellent eco-friendly alternative.
In addition, we can also ask people to use hand sanitizers instead of water for washing and cleaning afterward. Plus, the lack of plumbing installation further aids in water conservation.
Frequent Proper Maintenance And Waste Disposal
Frequent maintenance and proper disposal of waste further enhance the ecological impact of these toilets.
Proper disposal and maintenance of such bodies enhances their shelf life and prevents issues like impaired drainage, clogging, or septic tank smell. Frequent servicing will reduce the need for harsh chemicals to control odors and maintain cleanliness.
Use Natural and Enzyme Based Deodorizers and Cleaning Products
The chemical-based toilet cleaning products contain harmful materials like VOCs that can pollute the surroundings. However, natural chemicals like vinegar, baking soda, or enzyme-based products can help clean and remove odor.
The enzyme-based chemicals contain enzymes or bacteria that break down the solid and remove the odors, thus presenting a natural way of eliminating sewage waste. Using biocides also removes the disease-causing pathogens, thus preventing disease from spreading.
You can also use biodegradable products to fight foul odors and remove pathogens. Using biodegradable and non-toxic cleaning products promotes a more pronounced sustainable impact on the environment.
Installation of Recycling Stations
You can even install recyclable stations near your portable restrooms so people can properly dispose of their waste.
Labeling the two separate bins for the recyclable waste and composting waste further aids in managing the sewage waste properly without resulting in landfill waste mismanagement. You can even use signs to help people find the bins easily.
Educational Signage
Keeping environmental practices on board is a process that takes time. It would help if you kept reminding people what person is responsible for maintaining the environment clean.
Installing awareness signage outside and inside the portable washrooms can help people be aware of the importance of environmental cleanliness.
This signage should educate the users to save water, dispose of the waste properly in their respective bins, and ensure the waste is correctly drained after restroom usage to avoid spreading foul-smelling and disease.
Use Energy Efficient Lightenning
Installing proper lighting is essential for a well-installed and adequately working portal restroom.
But ensure the light isn’t wasted; how can we use electricity efficiently? The more we use, the more we negatively add to the environmental footprint.
The use of LED lights or solar-powered lights can help in this regard. Use solar-powered light in the daytime and LED light in the evening hours. LED technology uses significantly less energy than traditional incandescent or halogen bulbs, providing a sustainable lighting solution with a longer lifespan.
Maintain Proper Ventillation
Keeping the portable washrooms well-ventilated also makes the toilets more sustainable.
The proper ventilation and exhaust system installation ensures the portable washrooms are odor-free. It is essential to ensure the ventilators and exhaust system filters are periodically cleaned and reinstalled in case of damage to ensure they work efficiently.
Monitor And Replenish Toilet Supplies
To ensure the portable toilets remain clean and eco-friendly, ensure the toilet supplies are promptly in case of finishing. The most typical supplies used by portable toilets include:
- Toilet papers
- Hand sanitizers and soap
- Biodegradable deodorizing products
- Air fresheners
All these things collectively help to keep your portable in a hygienic state. So, if you want to keep the portable toilets clean and tidy, install them before they end.
Frequent Pumping
Proper waste management is essential to keep your portable toilets eco-friendly. Ensure the waste holding tank is pumped frequently to prevent the waste from accumulating or clogging, preventing proper water drainage.
In addition, timely and frequent pumping prevents the septic tank from overflowing. It is best to schedule your pumping in the week to ensure everything works at its best.
Empty And Clean The Toilets Before Relocation
If you rent the portable toilets from a local mobile restroom contractor, ensure they are cleaned and empty before transporting them to your respective site.
Before transporting, ensure that the waste tank is drained of all the waste and that all the surfaces are cleaned with a disinfecting agent.
This practice reduces damage and ensures that everything is checked, in a good state, and adequately functional before being transported to their respective site.
Conduct Reglular Inspection
The inspection should not be done in case of an issue occurrence. It should be done regularly and generally, after every use, to ensure everything is in a good state and is working at its best performance.
Inspect the signs of damage, wear & tear, malfunctioning, and leaks before it results in something uncontrollable. The regular inspection also saves you from hefty costs in case of severe damages, which could have been avoided if suspected and resolved on time.
Develop a proper Cleaning Scedule
To keep portable toilets sustainable and long-lasting, keeping them clean and tidy is essential. Just like brick-and-mortar-based toilets, people should also consider cleaning portable toilets.
Regular cleaning ensures the toilet is accessible from foul odors and remains tidy and hygienic. The cleaning schedule should be scheduled as per the usage frequency. If it is used as a standard toilet, it is best to clean them regularly.
Clean the interior surfaces with soft-bristled brushes, which can help you rub off the remains, and use non-abrasive chemicals to remove the stains, which are generally hard to remove.
What Chemicals Are Used For Cleaning Of Portable Restrooms?
There are various chemicals to make sure the portable toilets remain tidy. From many, the most appropriate chemicals include:
- Formaldehyde: Formaldehyde cleaning solutions work best to fight foul odors and efficiently break down waste.
- Surfactant: the surfactant is the standard agent added to most cleaning products. The surfactants can remove all the rigid stains and blemishes from the surfaces.
- Non-formaldehyde disinfectants: These chemicals are primarily enzyme-based disinfectants that break down the solid and remove the foul odor once and for all.
- Vinegar: A vinegar and baking soda solution works best for removing stains and foul smells.
Benefits of Using Portable Washrooms and Restrooms
- Portable restrooms are small and have less space occupying alternatives than traditional washrooms. The idea of portability greatly enhances their use and ease of use.
- Since they require no electricity, this aspect makes them practical for off-grid locations.
- They have a system with an in-house water conservation facility, which makes it a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative.
- Because they don’t need a permanent plumbing system installation, you can quickly relocate it anywhere.
- They come in various types, such as bucket toilets, cassette or dry toilets, composting toilets, and much more. Its varied models can help you cater to your multiple needs.
- They are recyclable restrooms, which means you can remodel them for kitchen gardening when done with usage.
- Because they are designed for shorter periods and smaller spaces, porta-potties reduce the risk of cross-contamination by keeping human waste away from drinking water sources.
- Portable toilets have a reduced environmental impact. Proper cleaning and maintenance can reduce the release of harmful gasses, pollutants, and odor.
- The portable restrooms are a cost-effective alternative since they save you from lighting and venting costs with solar power or LEDs.
Conclusion
Whether it is about the traditional bathrooms or restrooms or the portable restrooms, ensuring the eco-friendly maintenance and cleaning of portable washrooms is necessary.
Suppose you think sustainability is all about home cleaning and outdoor cleaning and it has nothing to do with your mobile restroom cleaning. In that case, you are mistaken because despite the restroom not being installed, its presence still makes a difference to the surrounding environment.
With multiple server conservation techniques to regular maintenance and cleaning, you can make your portable toilets long lasting and eco-friendly.
In addition, you can also use solar-powered portable toilets with properly installed toiletries and signage for awareness of a more pronounced environmental impact.
By choosing these sanitation solutions over traditional toilets, you can do your part to reduce resource consumption and preserve our precious environment for future generations.
UPLARN 
Minal Patel 
Inam Ullah Dar 
