Portable Sanitation Association International

Association Insight, July 7, 2021

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ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION JULY 7, 2021 Page 15 Changing Portable Sanitation into a Respected Alternative in the Minds of the Public… continued from page 14 So, it would seem obvious that the solution to change portable sanitation into a respected alternative in the minds of the public would be awareness. Use video, social media, influencers, etc. to tell and show the U.S. public what it would be like if they didn't have portable sanitation along with real life examples of those in developing countries who are experiencing this crisis firsthand. While it's a good place to start to build understanding, the underlying roadblock is that most people in the U.S. can't relate to not having portable sanitation available. They are desensitized to their own comforts and there isn't a strong catalyst to immediately change their views. While people in the U.S. would feel bad for a situation like that in India for example, where women are compromised because they do not have a safe place to go to the bathroom and there is excrement mixed in with their drinking water, it still feels too far removed. Those in developed countries will continue to feel afforded to their amenities and truly will never be able to picture themselves having to deal with this sanitation issue, and therefore will continue to see through the lenses of privilege. That said, I think there are two ways to change the public's minds. 1. Get rid of all portable sanitation equipment for a month in the U.S. so people can really understand what life would be like without it and establish an appreciation for it. 2. Make portable sanitation closer to an in-home experience that doesn't have the perception of being "gross". Option one is highly unlikely, although highly effective, to establish the value of portable sanitation. So, I'll focus on option two. Portable toilets are a place for the public to pee and poop; basically, they store everyone's waste. When I approach the door of a portable toilet, I think that I'm walking into a gross, foul-smelling environment. I also consider that I am being exposed to the germs and waste of everyone who entered before me. Mentally, and subsequently physically, people brace themselves for a disgusting experience. The first thing you notice when you walk into a portable toilet is the open "hole" and the last thing you want to do is look into that hole (to see everyone's waste), but you can't help it because that's all there is to look at. So even if there was no waste in the tank, there is a placebo effect that makes you cringe because you "know" it's there. And if you can see the waste, your senses most likely enhance the odor making it worse. Therefore, the two main issues with portable toilets is the smell and the sight of the waste. The first thing would be to hide the waste from the user and change that first impression when you open the door, so it doesn't prompt an immediate offensive mental state. If the waste was consistently hidden from the user and whatever receptacle was used to hide the waste did not show any trace of the waste, such as a flushing Continued on page 16

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