The author of ‘Poop Culture‘ shares his thoughts on some new, eco-friendly flushers:
“The restrooms are bright, airy, and plastered with infographics explaining the benefits of the Clivus Multrum foam flush toilets. Instead of flushing with 1.6 gallons of water, these toilets generate a biocompatible foam to lubricate the bowl and wash your waste down into the compost receptacle below. It uses just three ounces of water — 98.5% less than a normal toilet. According to Clivus Multrum, this facility will handle over 500,000 people a year and save over a million gallons of water.”
“The architecture was great, the place was sparkling, and everything about the experience was top-notch — except when it came to flushing the toilet. Whenever I’m in a public toilet, my inclination is to flush with my foot. That’s what my dad taught me, and the lesson stuck. No matter how clean-smelling these toilets may be, they’re still public toilets, and public toilets are disgusting. No one wants to touch anything in a public toilet. And yet:
“I didn’t want to touch the toilet lid, which I had to move to access the flush button. And I certainly didn’t want to touch the flush button — never mind touching it twice, as the sign implores. Enlightened pooper though I may be, I can only imagine all the disgusting fingers that have been jabbing into that hole — fingers that have just swiped toilet paper across a dirty butt, but have not yet been cleansed with soap and water.”