Portable Sanitation Association International

ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 Page 5 Continued on page 6 It's Not Easy Being Green, but It's What We Do by Karleen Kos, PSAI's Executive Director Here's a fun fact. Today is the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. This year, we commemorate 35 years of global ozone layer protection, dating back to a resolution passed during a 1985 meeting of representatives from around the world in Vienna, Austria. Life on Earth would not be possible without sunlight. But energy that emanates from the sun would be too much for life on Earth to thrive were it not for the ozone layer. So, when scientists working in the late 1970s discovered that humanity was creating a hole in this protective shield, they raised the alarm. The hole—caused by ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) used in spray aerosols and cooling appliances, such as refrigerators and air-conditioners—was threatening to increase cases of skin cancer and cataracts, and damage plants, crops, and ecosystems. The portable sanitation industry was not at the table in Vienna, and we played only a "bit part" in the overall situation that was depleting the ozone. Still, since 1985, we have changed our practices along with the rest of the world. Generally speaking, we play a much bigger role in preserving and fostering the well-being of our natural environment in other ways. So though today is about preserving the ozone, let's take this environmental celebration a step further and look at the ways our industry contributes to preserving and protecting our natural environment. The Public Doesn't Realize Our Environment-Friendly Impact A couple of years ago I was chatting with a group of friends, all of them middle-aged or older, reasonably well- educated, and aware of how the world works. Most even consider themselves "eco-friendly" people. But when I mentioned that all water from toilets—sewered or portable—is treated and eventually comes out a tap again, they were stunned. The implications of the water cycle had simply never occurred to them. I don't think my friends are unique. Since that day, I've discovered that a great many people outside our industry don't understand these things. With that level of unawareness in general, it is even easier to overlook the benefits of portable restrooms. So let's review them in case you are in need of a few facts for your friends or your company literature. We save water. The PSAI conservatively estimates that the portable restroom industry saves approximately 125 million gallons of fresh, drinkable water each day. We calculate the savings like this: A toilet uses about 1.8 gallons of clean water. Currently there are an estimated 3.6 million portable restrooms in the world. If just 2.2 million are used 20 to 30 times per day, that equals 125 million gallons of water that is not being flushed. Of course this is an average, and you can debate our estimates. But no matter how you figure it, portable restrooms save a LOT of water. We reduce greenhouse gases. Even though water is recycled, that process costs money, energy, and affects the environment. If you take our daily calculations a step further, you realize there are other benefits.

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