Thinking Outside the Little Boxes
By PSAI Executive Director Karleen Kos, as printed in PRO Magazine's April 2017 issue
While many of the current prototypes are not portable or designed for hundreds of uses in a short time period,
some of them are. I think the likelihood of viable "next generation" technologies being adapted for the portable
market is fairly high. So imagine a portable toilet that is experiential ly like using a sewer - connected toilet, doesn't
require power or water, and offers sustainable economics for you as a businessperson. Very cool, huh?
My guess is the public will be interested in these new technologies. Everyone wants an "indoor" experienc e that
does not require viewing or smelling waste. It is likely current operators will make the switch to the new models or
they will face fierce competition from other companies who offer them.
The units we've seen so far bring new ideas for how the re stroom and sanitation business can be viable. Some
offer self - contained waste treatment and fertilizer products for resale; another model is a service - and - route - based
business collecting partially processed waste hauled on vehicles that don't have tanks. In some cases, the service
interval for the waste itself is much longer, though more frequent cleaning of the unit inside would certainly still
need to occur.
I don't know how soon this will all happen. If I had to guess, it will be between five and ten y ears from now. But it
will almost definitely happen.
Are you ready to start thinking outside the little boxes?
W EEKLY EDITION APRIL 5, 2017
P AGE 6
