World Toilet Day 2009 at Hering

News published on 09:45:58 12.08.2009

In the year 2001, the World Toilet Organisation, WTO, declared the 19th of November to be the World Toilet Day. The United Nations supports the proposal to make the 19th of November a regular anniversary.

Hering will also support the World Toilet Day again this year with a variety of campaign activities in order to call attention to the problem of a lack of sanitary facilities for more than 40% of the world’s population. This commemoration day was supported by Hering for the first time in 2008. Read more details here.

Background

The toilet – we all use toilets every day of our lives and simply take it for granted. However, not everyone in the world shares this luxury. Approximately 40% of the world’s population do not have appropriate sanitary facilities. Even Germany’s nationwide provision of public toilets is far from being sufficient. The use of public toilet facilities is often either not possible at all or extremely difficult for handicapped people in particular. In addition to this problem and contrary to our own private bathrooms, public sanitary facilities are often treated with little or no respect. Defilement and vandalism is unfortunately a big problem. As a developer of hygiene solutions in public areas, we have dedicated ourselves to these issues for more than 30 years. Therefore, we want to help create more consciousness of the taboo issue of toilets by holding our campaign activities on the 19.11.2009, the World Toilet Day.

Function and Objectives

The World Toilet Day aims to shake up those responsible in political and economic sectors. It is intended to eliminate taboos instead of just continuing to suppress the fact that the sanitary problems are not solved for a large percentage of the human race. Demands are made to national governments for them to use at least three percent of their expenditure for sanitary facilities and water supplies, as well as for them to fight against corruption within the water sector. It is estimated that, alone through bribery and corruptibility, two billion US dollars disappear every year into dubious financial channels and pockets instead of contributing toward solving the problems with the aid of alternative sanitary and water technology.

Planned Campaigns

“Cologne Cathedral” campaign in collaboration with Malteser International
“WC Centre Munich Central Station” campaign

Have we managed to arouse your curiosity? You will soon be able to read more about this topic on our website.