Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/845499
W EEKLY EDIT ION JULY 5, 2017 Daniel's essay is one of five well - w ritten pieces that we will continue to run in Association Insight over the next few weeks. Each pays homage to portable sanitation in a different and interesting way. Just as he summarizes in his essay, all restrooms serve a valuable function and the preju dice against portable units is very real – and can be very easily eliminated . Don't forget to check out next week's newsletter to read how Lauren Wagner has been impacted by the portable sanitation industry. Meet PSAI Scholarship Winner Daniel M ooers …continued Now, consider those who are at the bottom of society; the "port - a - potties." No one turns to them for advice. They receive few opportunities and are likely shunned by the "structured bathrooms." The "port - a - potties" aren't as well off and p eople see them as a nuisance. They receive comments like, "My taxes are paying for you to be alive." Or, "maybe if you worked harder, you could be like us and get ahead." They are solely judged by their appearance and economic state. However, their voice m atters just as much as the well - off, "structured bathroom" people. They may be considered the "port - a - potties" of society, but they are people just the same. They have equal value and function, but in a different way. The "port - a - potties" have been labele d and thrown into a negative category. They are constantly forced to try to change the minds of those looking down on them. The "structured bathrooms" rarely give them a chance to change their reputation. The "fixed bathroom" types like their position too much to risk making room for anyone else. What is the "port - a - potty" to do? He knows his life matters just as much as the "structured bathroom", but not enough people will give him a chance to prove that. However, "port - a - potties" may be of even more use to society than those among the "structured" elite. They are likely more numerous than the "structured bathrooms." According to the Mr. John website, portable sanitation conserves water by using only six gallons of clean water to contain the thirty gallon s of waste generated by a ten worker construction crew during one forty hour work week. Whereas, if the same crew who uses port - a - potties, uses conventional water flush toilets, they could use up to 2,500 gallons of clean water to carry away the thirty gal lons of waste they generate. While it may be preferable to use a "structured bathroom", they are wasting valuable resources by using them. They are using nearly 417 times more water to dispose of their waste. What if they chose to give portable restrooms a chance? They would use far less water and conserve a precious resource. The intrinsic value of the portable restroom is clear from this information. Portable restrooms are necessary for the sustainability and smooth operation of many different places. Parks use them instead of building permanent structures, construction companies use them to minimize the space they take up on their site and every outdoor event likely has several of them for the convenience of the attendees. Port - a - potties have proven to be easier to maneuver and clean. Establishments don't need to worry about sustaining a permanent structure and can use them and remove them as they see fit. The value of a portable restroom is in its portability and conservation of natural and financial r esources. People are people. Restrooms are restrooms. Some may look better or are easier to use, but they all serve a valuable function . When one group of people infuses its bias into its opinion about another group, prejudice begins. What if people bega n to view themselves as a catalyst for change? What if they threw away their bias and chose to at least give "port - a - potties" a chance? When people come together and realize that working with one another and accepting their differences is the only way thin gs will improve, positive change can occur and prejudices will be reduced. Until then, there will only be the division between " port - a - potties" and "structured bathrooms." P AGE 14