CHANGE SANITATION.CHANGE HEALTH.CHANGE LIVES.

UPDATE:

SmallSmall won the Social Innovation Prize at PennVention 2012!!!! 

Winning Announcment (link) PennDesign




NPR recently reported on the sanitation crisis in Haiti:Port-Au-Prince: A City Of Millions, With No Sewer System



On October 21, SmallSmall and SMU met to discuss the mid-review of the Global Latrine research. There were innovative new ideas about using repurposed materials, and ways to evaporate moisture from the tanks. We are on the edge of new discovery and research, and so far no one has published this kind of research on a closed tanks latrine....Very Exciting!  Check out the sketch from our meeting. It may not look like much, but it is world changing.

The Global Latrine Project is an initiative to use modern manufacturing and a time-tested design to improve world health.

 

We have conceptualized and designed a dual-tank VIP latrine system of mass-manufactured plastic tanks that meets the needs and adheres to the limitations of people in poor communities. The Global Latrine components are stackable for easy transportation and installation, and use a tested, sustainable, low-tech, and hygienic composting process that improves quality of life without any lapse of coverage in the latrine life-cycle.

Marrying modern manufacturing technology with a long-established design, the Global Latrine uses sanitary plastics that stack inside one another for easy and efficient transport. The latrine is adaptable to many environments and cultures. This idea is: affordable for the urban poor in developing countries; easily installed, transported on local vehicles, and maintained with local resources; durable to withstand extreme weather; ventilated to reduce smell; and compostable for later use in home gardens or income generation. With composting VIP latrines being built around the world, their effectiveness in reducing illness has been proven. The Global Latrine Project’s innovative design adapts this tested latrine science to meet modern needs through the following channels: 

 

    • Mass Produced (Regionally or in-country)

    • Affordable (Less than $500USD and affordable for a household to purchase)

    • Easily Transported (The main components will stack inside each other like plastic cups)

    • Light Weight (all components can be carried by two men and stacked components can be carried by a standard lorry going to a rural area)

    • Easy Assembly and Maintenance (No tools required and components can be repaired with local materials)

    • Longevity (the latrine can withstand harsh conditions of weather and people to last more than 10 years)

    • Improved Health (the households that have and use properly a portable latrine will be healthier: children will miss school less, adults will be more productive at home, work, and on the farm)


    End Goal: Streamline manufacturing and installation of plastic latrines so that individuals or households can purchase a latrine for domestic use. The household latrine should cost between $300-500 and be easily transported to rural areas of developing countries, and easily assembled without the need for written instructions. Also, The Global Latrine Project will aid in sanitation and hygiene education for beneficiaries and increase awareness about sanitation related disease prevention, including hand-washing.