Portable sinks and waterless toilets: the perfect combination

If you’ve been to a festival, spent time on a campsite, or visited a country park, there’s a reasonable chance that you’ve encountered a composting or waterless toilet. Once the preserve of the seriously eco-minded, they’re now used as a practical solution in a wide range of contexts. They remove the need for water, making them an adaptable option if your site isn’t connected to the mains.

If you’re using waterless toilets, then finding the right sink option – for people to wash their hands - can be challenging, but a sink is essential if you’re to ensure adequate hygiene facilities on site. Portable sinks are an excellent accompaniment to waterless toilets, which when taken together provide a versatile solution.

‍What are waterless toilets and how do they work?‍

As the name suggests, a composting toilet doesn’t require 4-6 litres of water per “visit” to flush away human waste. They provide the right environment for organic materials, including human waste and toilet paper, to break down via a natural process. This process turns the waste into a compost-like material. In fact, the material that’s produced can in some contexts be used to produce organic fertiliser. This makes them an incredibly eco-friendly option. 

The combination of practicality, adaptability and positive environmental impact are the key reasons behind the growth in their usage. 

‍What are portable sinks?‍

Portable sinks are small sinks that don’t need to be connected to a mains water feed. Instead, clean water is filled into the pedestal before the sink can be used. Each sink has a floor-mounted pump, that makes it easy and hygienic to operate. When the pump is operated, water is dispensed through the tap into the sink bowl. The grey, soapy water then drains away via an external pipe. 

Under normal circumstances, this dirty water would be channeled into the portable toilet tank. However, alternative solutions to capture the water can be installed, including a water canister or a simple bucket. Once the fresh water supply is exhausted, the water container will then need to be replenished. The pipework and freshwater tank inside the sink pedestal can be sanitised by using a suitable water steriliser.

Their compact size and versatility mean that they’re able to be installed in a wide variety of settings. If you’re staging a festival, setting up a glamping site or running an outdoor craft fair or other event, portable sinks are the perfect accompaniment to waterless and eco-toilets. 

When you install a portable sink you give your visitors and event attendees facilities to wash their hands and remain hygienic. With the advent of Covid-19, public awareness about personal hygiene has increased considerably, and people expect handwashing facilities to be provided. Portable sinks are an easy way to ensure that people using your site are able to access the handwashing facilities they need.

‍Easy to set up and operate‍

Crucially, portable sinks are incredibly easy to set up and operate. They can be deployed in no time at all. All you have to do is roll them into place, fill the freshwater tank and they’re ready to use. The tanks are easy to refill and empty, and different designs offer different levels of convenience. 

‍A perfect combination‍

The Separett Villa 9000 is a urine separating toilet, that combines simplicity with unlimited capacity. It’s a great option in glamping set-ups, or anywhere that doesn’t have access to mains water. It works in the same way as other waterless toilets and allows site owners and event organisers to quickly get facilities into places where they’re needed.

Plastic Solutions also supply an outstanding range of portable sink options to suit every situation. From single sink units to freestanding wash stations, they can help create the total sanitation setup in a wide variety of contexts. 

Plastic Solutions’ sink units have been installed at glamping sites, festivals, other large-scale events as well as in construction settings and business premises. At a recent event, we were asked by a pottery shop owner in Harrogate about waterless toilets and portable sinks for their business which is off-grid. We were able to explain how our range could work within their setting.

If you have an off-grid business, it might be just the solution you’re looking for.

To find out more about waterless toilets and portable sinks, call 0800 334 5742 or email info@plasticsol.com