Not all Portable Toilets are created equal!
It is at about this time every year, about half way through another great season, running a business employing over one hundred people and maintaining growth, often in areas of economic decline, through the biggest recession we have ever seen, and having had over a million bottoms use our services, that we begin to see a little bit of anti portable loo propaganda pop up. Often from punters and guests at shows that we don’t supply, and from those that don’t know any better, but sometimes from other providers and people in the market place, touting often flimsy environmental and sustainability figures at us whilst at the same time attempting to gain valuable insight into UK Event Market. The oft-quoted lament at the state of a ‘festival portaloo™’ (yes this is a trademark, and yes Portakabin I am acknowledging the fact, I am only using the phrase as it is in common use, not referring to your product directly at all), is actually now verging on the boring, as it not need be the case, as we here at PTL prove.
- ‘Smelly’ loos are down to a number of things:
Obviously the number of people tearing through the facilities will have an impact. Of course, 99% of the time the event organiser knows the capacity of the event, and books accordingly. Far be it for us to attempt to convince them to book more, it looks like a rather feeble sales effort.
- The weather can have an effect
Yes, mother nature can reduce the effectiveness of that all important blue chemical (it’s only blue so we can see it by the way!) The hotter it is, the less time the chemical has to work its magic, and the smellier the loos become.
- Lack of servicing
Without being too brutal, some Portable Toilet providers do not do anything to their product once it is put in place. Like anything that is being used by hundreds of people, without some TLC it is going to look grotty pretty quickly. BUT it can be done properly, we do it and are extremely proud of what we do.
The Environmental Argument Those with an axe to grind against Portable Loo providers, especially successful ones, will claim that we are the least environmentally friendly product there is. Let’s clear up a few myths:
- It can take less than 5 litres of water to initially charge a PJ, after that it is our own urine and bodily fluids, mixed with that all important blue chemical, that flushes the loo.
- Compare that to 5 litres of water PER FLUSH for most mains loos onsite, and we can see that PJs are beginning to look less evil already
- And what about composting loos and their leverage off PJs as a ‘bad’ product. Well, at all shows where we have been hired alongside a ‘green’ solution, we have been engaged to use our tankers to remove their urine, as they cannot dispose of it. Add to that the apparent lack of a waste carriers license in some situations…..
- Please don’t shelter in a ‘green’ tent and the use our infrastructure to assist.
- But what about PTL and our environmental impact? What are we doing to make sure we are behaving responsibly? Well, every single one of our events can be traced back to a sewage treatment plant. Every. Single. Poo. So while huge companies like Thames Water and Southern are investing millions in Biodiversity and Ethical Waste Management, PTL can deliver them the fuel they need to have!
Here is an example:
Look, we provide lots of other types of kit too, so I am certainly not saying that PJs are the answer to everyone’s needs.
And I am not saying that there isn’t a great role for composting loos; just that they aren’t perfect either.
Employed correctly, and managed properly, PJs can still be the best solution. I have seen ‘ethically produced’ and environmentally harmless’ composting loos delivered in units of 2 by a ‘gas guzzling 4×4’; if that is not hyprocracy……
To sum up, we can deliver 22 at a time, use only 5 litres of water (which can come from old shower water if needs be), use recycled loo roll, and provide enough for over 100,000 people. Like anything, the product is one thing, it is how it serviced and maintained that makes the difference. We recongnise we have a responsibility to act with the environment in mind, and strive to achieve our ISO 14001 Standard very year. And we do achieve it.
So next time you see a portable loo, remember that although not perfect, PTL can supply them as close to perfect as is possible.
Thanks for reading.
