Common Myths About Portable Restrooms Debunked

September 2, 2022 Mike Kinney Community Outreach, Global Initiative, Sanitation Comments Off

Many ideas you may or may not have been told about portable restrooms are not necessarily factual. There are a number of misconceptions about these pieces of equipment that ought to be cleared up. At On Site Companies, we offer an array of portable restroom solutions designed for many types of outdoor settings and events so today we would like to address some of these ideas.

Myth #1: Portable Restrooms Will Look Bad at a Formal or Upscale Event

Portable luxury restroom trailers provide amenities that go beyond those of the typical, standard portable restroom. These may include air conditioning and heating, faux wood flooring, Formica marbled sinks or countertops, oak cabinets, and more. Some of them feature multiple stalls to handle multiple persons at a time.

Myth #2: Portable Restrooms are Unsanitary and Smelly

A big misconception is that all portable restrooms are unsanitary. While some mobile bathrooms of the past may have fallen into this category much of the time, our new portable restrooms, including luxury portable units, are designed with quality and user experience in mind including features such as: running water, sanitizers or soap dispensers, flushable toilets, easy-to-clean surfaces, and vents to control odors.

Myth #3: You Can’t Wash Your Hands in a Portable Restroom

Another misconception is that portable bathrooms lack any accessory for washing the hands. However, that is largely false. All standard units include hand sanitizers at a minimum. Other luxury models feature running water sinks. In other cases, portable hand washing units are placed outside of bathrooms that can be used.

Myth #4: Portable Restrooms Are Only for Festivals and Construction Sites

Another myth is that portable restrooms are only applicable for large outdoor festivals or construction sites, not small events. However, they are actually ideal for personal use events such as weddings, graduation parties, and family reunions. In addition, some small, seasonal businesses rent portable restrooms for parks, farms, and golf courses.

Myth #5: Portable Restrooms are Bad for the Environment

Standard portable restrooms don’t require water after use. Running water toilets can waste up to a couple hundred gallons of water daily. Portable restrooms save tens of billions of water every year. This is significant since toilet flushing is the highest use of water in the United States.

For information about the portable restroom solutions we offer at On Site Companies, call us today at 800.210.8407 or email sales@onsiteco.com.

Key Environmental Benefits of Portable Restrooms

August 30, 2022 Mike Kinney Community Outreach, Global Initiative, Sanitation Comments Off

At One Site Companies, we provide only the most experienced knowledge and sources for portable sanitation systems. Portable restrooms offer several benefits on top of providing a safe, sanitized, and easy to use private environment for users.

In our mission, we would like to provide insight for you on how portable restrooms also have huge environmental benefits for users.

Conserving Water

Flushing is the largest daily use of water in the United States, including showering and hand washing. Portable restrooms conserve water since they don’t require flushing after every use. According to the PSAI 45 billion gallons of fresh water are saved annually by portable restroom use.

Protecting Landscaping and Waterways

Portable restrooms help preserve the surrounding landscaping by saving plant life from harm due to individual waste on bushes and trees. They also prevent human waste from reaching streams where it can poison certain bodies of water, harming local flora and wildlife. Portable restrooms keep human waste safely contained until it is disposed of for treatment, protecting the surrounding natural environment.

Reduced Insect Problems

Containing human waste in portable restrooms helps prevent the problem of insects swarming to the waste. If a person’s waste contains any parasites, they could end up in the soil when not properly contained in a portable restroom. This could potentially infect someone else who came into contact with the waste and cause damage to the environment.

Preserving Public Health

Various diseases spread through the transfer of fecal matter to the mouth. When someone does a bowel movement, but fails to wash their hands properly, and then touches objects such as utensils or food, the germs can spread and cause sickness. The same is true for urinating without washing the hands. Portable restrooms with hand sanitizer or soap dispensers and running water solve this problem. Otherwise, individuals at various outdoor events are forced to go to the bathroom in the bushes somewhere without an opportunity to sanitize themselves, including their hands.

Odor Control

The design of portable restrooms today includes better odor control than older generation porta potties. Here at On Site Companies, we use hospital-grade disinfectant to clean our units and take great measures to ensure a pleasant experience. This means that regardless of whether or not it is the type of mobile restroom that flushes, it will not spread an unappealing aroma to areas of your area, even if you have multiple portable restrooms set up throughout your venue.

To learn about the portable sanitation solutions we offer, give us a call today at 800.210.8407 or email us at sales@onsiteco.com.

5 Facts About Portable Toilets

November 17, 2021 onsitedev Global Initiative, Sanitation Comments Off

Did you know that November 19, 2021 is World Toilet Day? The United Nations has marked this as an observance day to raise awareness on the current global sanitation crisis. This year, the campaign is about encouraging everyone to value toilets and all that they do for us. It is definitely eye opening to learn that 3.6 billion people in the world don’t have access to proper sanitation. When there is no access to standard stationary restrooms, one of the most common temporary solutions is to rent out portable toilets. They seem pretty straight forward, but how much do you really know about them? You’re about to find out! Here are 5 facts about portable toilets you might not be aware of:

1. There Is More Than One Kind Of Portable Toilet

When picturing a portable toilet, you might think there’s not much to it. A porta potty usually looks like, well, a porta potty. If you’re planning on renting out a portable toilet, you might be surprised to find out there are different kinds to choose from. The kind of portable toilet you rent out will usually depend on the type of setting as well as circumstance. Besides the standard portable restrooms that are traditionally used, here are a few other examples you might not know of:

Hook Unit Portable Restroom – This unit comes with a harness that allows it to be lifted by a crane. It’s usually rented out for construction projects that need the restroom to be moved to different levels and areas.
High Rise Portable Restroom – This portable restroom is a bit more narrow than your standard unit. It has a retractable ceiling. This allows it to fit through standard doorways and freight elevators. The High Rise is perfect for construction projects that need the restroom moved to multiple floors.
Mobile Portable Restroom – This looks like your standard portable restroom, but placed on small wheels. It allows the unit to have easy mobility to different locations. For example, you might find these in golf courses, since the units would have to be moved around.
ADA Portable Restroom – Compliant with ADA standards, this portable restroom is equipped with handrails and larger space for full wheelchair movement inside the unit.

2. Portable Toilets Save Water

A fun fact about about portable toilets is that they save around 125 million gallons of freshwater every day. This is significantly impactful considering freshwater accounts for only 3% of Earth’s water. Doesn’t seem like much, does it? This shows how important it is to limit the amount of wasted freshwater in our daily lives. Flushing the toilet and having it run daily can waste up to 300 gallons of freshwater per day. On the other hand, the use of portable restrooms save 45 billion gallons of freshwater every year. That’s a lot of freshwater. Offering temporary sanitation solutions that contribute to the preservation of freshwater is something that we at On Site Companies take pride in!

3. The Blue Liquid In The Porta Potty Has A Purpose

Most standard portable toilets are not flushable. What happens when several people use the restroom without being able to flush the toilet? The blue liquid you see in portable toilets has a purpose beyond just being a “blue liquid”. It is actually a deodorizer that helps control and mask bad odors associated with human waste. It also has a pleasant fragrance. The color is meant to hide the waste in the tank from previous users. The deodorizer that we use at On Site Companies is non-formaldehyde, making it more environmentally friendly than previously used deodorizers for portable toilets.

4. Portable Restroom – But Make It Fancy!

Traditional portable restrooms are more often the first choice for quick and easy sanitation solutions. However, depending on the event taking place, you might be looking for something a bit more “luxurious”. You might also be looking for a more similar option to traditional stationary restrooms. Luckily, the Luxury Restroom Trailer exists. It’s portable and perfect for special events, weddings, concerts, and even commercial business construction! Luxury Restroom Trailers come in a variety of sizes and features, including ADA compliant trailers with drop down hydraulics and a wheelchair ramp.

At On Site Companies, we offer Luxury Restroom Trailers for all types of event sizes. Most trailers include features like individually enclosed stalls, porcelain fixtures, heating and air conditioning, as well as running freshwater sinks and toilets. Some of these trailers also have aux input for custom background music. These Luxury Restroom Trailers are definitely set to take your event to the next level! Curious to see how these trailers look inside and out? Take a look at our Luxury Restroom Trailer Spotlight Videos!

5. Portable Toilets Are Actually More Sanitary Than You Think

Speaking of facts about portable toilets, here’s another fun one: they are actually more sanitary than you’d think. Given their size, they are easier and quicker to clean than standard stationary restrooms. There are also specific sanitary protocols followed when cleaning portable restrooms. At On Site Companies, our technicians are constantly servicing rented portable restrooms to ensure quality and cleanliness is maintained. As part of the waste disposal and cleaning process, we use a hospital-grade deodorizer to disinfect and kill bacteria, as well as any microorganisms that might be present in the toilet and surfaces within the unit. We always encourage renting out portable restrooms along with temporary sanitation accessories. These accessories include portable hand wash stations and portable hand sanitizer stations. Maximize sanitation by having these accessories available to restroom users.

Quality Portable Toilets By On Site

Facts about portable toilets should not go unnoticed. These temporary solutions are varied, sanitary, and environmentally friendly. At On Site Companies, we take pride in setting the highest industry standards. We can provide you with quality sanitary solutions for your events and projects. We offer a wide variety of portable restroom and luxury restroom trailer rentals. To go along with your portable restroom, we also offer temporary sanitation accessories. Call us or request a quote today and contact an On Site representative. Depending on your needs, we will provide you with the best temporary sanitation solutions!

How the Lack of Sanitation Negatively Affects Women Around the World

August 10, 2016 onsitedev Global Initiative, Sanitation Comments Off

In the United States the vast majority of people have access to restrooms at their home, schools, places of work and public buildings. OSHA requires that all work places have access to restrooms for all employees, and most couldn’t imagine having not access to restrooms. There are even portable restrooms provided at parks, events and outdoor spaces so we never have to go without a safe and private place to relieve ourselves. Our culture highly values providing access to restrooms for all, but that isn’t the case everywhere. (more…)

How a Lack of Proper Sanitation Negatively Effects World Economies

August 9, 2016 onsitedev Global Initiative, Sanitation Comments Off

Portable Sanitation may not be the first thing you think of when considering economic improvement in the third world. If you really think about it though, proper sanitation has a huge impact on the lives of people living in these distressed areas. Lack of proper sanitation contributes to a lot of economic stress that are not immediately evident. Improving sanitation could have a large positive economic impact around world economies. (more…)

The History and Future of Porta Potties

August 5, 2016 onsitedev Global Initiative, Sanitation Comments Off

Portable restrooms or “porta potties” aren’t usually something you spend a lot of time thinking about. You’ll use these restrooms at special events, parks and on construction sites, but I bet you don’t know a lot about them. Portable restrooms actually have a rich history. There have been several innovations through the past involving portable sanitation that have brought us to the current portable restroom landscape. Let’s take a look at the history of the porta potties, and different innovations the portable restroom industry has made throughout the years. (more…)

On Site Companies Celebrates Red Nose Day 2016 to Raise Awareness for Children’s Needs Around the Globe

May 24, 2016 onsitedev Blog, Community Outreach, Global Initiative Comments Off

I’m sure you’ve seen the commercials on television or seen the billboards around town for Red Nose Day. The day culminates in a big television event featuring big names in entertainment on Thursday May 26^th, 2016. Even though the message is everywhere, you may still have questions about what Red Nose Day exactly is and what they’re exactly raising money for. (more…)

How a Lack of Sanitation Affects the World

March 30, 2016 onsitedev Global Initiative, Sanitation Comments Off

If you’re living in the developed world, you may not realize how important effective portable sanitation is for living a healthy life. Having proper restroom facilities and clean drinking water is something that most people take for granted, but there are billions of people around the world that don’t have the access to basic sanitation. Here are just a few statistics that highlight how lack of sanitation affects the health and safety of people throughout the developing world. (more…)

Engineers Revolution in Clean Drinking Water in the Developing World

January 16, 2015 onsitedev Global Initiative Comments Off

In the developed world, we often take for granted that we have ample amounts of clean drinking water. Our sewer system and portable restroom provides, such as On Site, take our wastewater and send them to water treatment plants to be purified into safe, potable water. Because we are fortunate enough to have these services that allow us to live in clean and safe conditions, we don’t even think about how our lives would be without them. In most of the developing world, however, clean drinking water is a luxury that most people don’t have access to.

In these countries, most sewage is collected and then dumped into lakes and streams that then contaminate the drinking water of the people who live in the region and can cause illness. Thankfully Bill Gates has partnered with engineer Janicki Bioenergy to create a solution in which the waste in the water can be used as fuel to purify the water, making it clean to drink. This revolutionary water purification system is called the Omni Processor.

I know you may be thinking that this water may not be as safe to drink, but it is really no different from the bottled water that you can buy at any grocery store here in America. This purification happens because the water is boiled and the water vapor exits as steam. At these high temperatures the harmful pathogens can no longer survive and it can be filtered into fresh, clean water. The left over waste is used to fuel the heating mechanism that produces this water vapor, so it creates its own electricity for the process.

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