Product Code Database
A chemical toilet collects human waste in a holding tank and uses chemicals to minimize odors. They do not require a connection to a water supply and are used in a wide variety of situations. These are usually, but not always, self-contained and movable. A chemical toilet is structured around a relatively small tank, which requires frequent emptying. It is not connected to a hole in the ground (like a pit latrine), nor to a septic tank, nor is it plumbed into a municipal system leading to a sewage treatment plant. When the tank is emptied, the contents are usually pumped into a sanitary sewer or directly to a treatment plant.
The enclosed used on construction sites and at large gatherings such as are well-known types of chemical toilets. As they are usually used for short periods and because of their high prices, they are mostly rented rather than bought, often including servicing and cleaning.
A simpler, unenclosed, chemical toilet may be used in camping, (caravans) and on small boats.
Many chemical toilets use a blue dye in the bowl water. In the past, disinfection was generally carried out by mixing formaldehyde, bleach, or similar chemicals with the toilet water when flushed. Modern formulations are nitrate-based and work biologically.
While chemical toilet units are typically freestanding structures, their stability is augmented by the weight of the waste tank, which usually contains an empty liquid disinfectant dispenser and deodorizer. They can also be staked down to withstand high winds.
In countries which use , portable toilets also come in squat versions, with only the shoes touching a potentially soiled surface. Hybrid toilet designs, where users can squat or swing down a seat to sit on, have not been developed for portable toilets.
Most include ventilation near the top, and a vent pipe for the holding tank. When wind is blowing over the vent pipe, it creates a low pressure area sucking the odor out, and leaving the toilet lid open will reverse the flow of the venting of the tank.
Typical specifications:
Government and private standards are minimal and do not require any of these features.
"Luxury" portable toilets also exist. They are typically mounted on large "office-like" trailers or made from converted shipping containers. They contain every amenity that a public toilet would have such as running water, flushing toilet, stalls, urinals, mirrors, lighting, and even air conditioning and hot water in some cases. However, these luxuries come at a price as these trailers typically cost multiple times more than a typical portable toilet to buy or rent. They are commonly found at weddings, high end events/charities, and movie shoots.
The chemical toilets used in film shoots are known as honeywagons.
They are also referred to as "cassette toilet" or "camping toilet", or under brand names that have become generic trademarks. The Oxford English Dictionary lists "Porta Potti" ("with arbitrary respelling") as "A proprietary name for: a portable toilet, as used by campers", and gives mostly American examples from 1968. The OED gives this proprietary name a second meaning, "a small prefabricated unit containing a toilet, designed for easy transportation and temporary installation esp. outdoors".
The other name common in British English is "Elsan", which dates back to 1925. According to the Camping and Caravanning Club, "Today you will often see campsites refer to their Disposal Points as Elsan Disposal Points because of the history and popularity of the brand." The Canal and River Trust uses both brand names, in lieu of any unbranded term.
One colloquialism for these simple toilets is the "bucket and chuck it" system, although in fact they no longer resemble an open bucket (see bucket toilet). These are designed to be emptied into sanitary stations connected to the regular sewage system. These toilets are not to be confused with the types that are plumbed in to the vehicle and need to be pumped out at holding tank dump stations.
A blue dye is added to conceal the contents of the tank from the user, as well as to provide a visual indicator of capacity. When enough urine and/or feces (yellow to brown) are deposited, the overall mixture takes on a green color which indicates that the tank is full, and should be emptied.
Fragrances and associated are usually included.
are added in an effort to control odor by suppressing microbial growth (particularly of gram-positive bacteria). Milder forms include ethanol and quaternary ammonium compounds in low concentration.
A formaldehyde based chemical was used for this purpose in the past, but environmental and health concerns have led to its phase-out in chemical toilets. Formaldehyde is very irritating to the eyes, ears, skin, nose, and throat, and in addition to vapor inhalation, the chemical solution can splash back onto the buttocks of the user when their excrement drops in. Formaldehyde is also highly toxic to aquatic life and can be difficult for wastewater treatment plants to dispose of safely.
In modern chemical toilets, microbial and enzymatic agents are increasingly common. These effectively reduce odor by accelerating digestion and breakdown of the waste, without relying on toxic additives or concealment with fragrances alone. Some can also break down toilet paper as well.
All of the above ingredients may have a limited lifespan (e.g., 7 days), requiring frequent replacement to maintain efficacy.
A much older form of portable toilet chemical is lye. Lye was used during the old "wooden outhouse days" to prevent odors. After a person is done using the portable toilet they would sprinkle a bit of lye into the holding tank. Lye can be dangerously corrosive to skin, and is rarely used today.
Portable toilets reduce open defecation. With their enclosure, they offer privacy on the toilet. If they lack a sink, they often also lack a trash receptacle which can be useful when people use nonflushable wipes to clean the seat, but they still can be suitable for the need to dispose of used menstrual and incontinence products in privacy. Males often may choose to urinate elsewhere for personal convenience, to avoid germs, to shorten queues, to improve efficiency at night, or to prevent the toilets from filling up too quickly.
Another disadvantage is that regular portable toilets are not wheelchair accessible, meaning that disabled people that use wheelchairs may find using portable toilets difficult or impossible. However, most modern companies offer wheel chair accessible portable toilets upon request.
In the mid 1960s PolyJohn was importing these toilets in to the UK under the Portaloo name and by the early 1970s they realized they needed a UK manufacturer of chemicals for their toilets. Working in partnership with Doug Holt & Robert Frazer, the owners of Repclif Chemical Services Ltd now Qualkem Ltd, the Destrol brand was born. Destrol quickly became the main brand with product being sold across the globe, servicing toilets with Destrol Bio-Concentrate & Destrol 6.
Its predecessors include the Victorian thunderbox, the bucket toilet and the pit latrine. The shape of the structure resembles a privy (outhouse), but there is no hole dug beneath it.
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