Exhibition Info - 21/02/2025Starlite presented the importance of emergency toilets at the SDGs Week EXPO 2024—Toilet Exhibition for Disaster Management.

Starlite presented the importance of emergency toilets at the SDGs Week EXPO 2024—Toilet Exhibition for Disaster Management.

In the aftermath of the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, toilet-related issues in times of disaster have once again been brought to the forefront this year. At the exhibition, Starlite introduced our activities that we have been sharing the importance of emergency toilets with local governments, companies, and schools across the country and held participatory experiences using toilet kits and utility hole toilets. We displayed an emergency barrier-free toilet for the first time and received a lot of valuable input from people in wheelchairs and the elderly. We also gave students who had come to the exhibition as part of their social studies an opportunity to experience entering and exiting the barrier-free toilet using a wheelchair. We received over 80 ideas for emergency toilets over the course of three days.

On the second day of the exhibition, five students who are studying the social inquiry seminar and the SDGs/disaster management from Salesian International Junior and Senior High School Setagaya participated as staff members. Every year Starlite jointly plans and holds workshops on emergency toilets with the school, and the theme of this year's workshop was "Think about how you can use social media to spread the message about toilet-related issues in times of disaster!".

What is required in emergency toilets installed outdoors Security for women and children

What is required in emergency toilets installed outdoors:

  • Security for women and children

    The door should be easily locked from the inside and be resistant to tearing even by a knife. The shadow of a person inside does not show through to the outside even when the light is turned on day or night. When a person approaches at night, the sensor reacts, and the light turns on automatically.

  • Barrier-free design for easy use by the elderly and people with disabilities

    There should be enough space for a care person to enter the room together with step-free access. The toilet should be equipped with handrails that can be used when sitting or standing up. Having a sliding door makes people in wheelchairs use the facilities easier.

  • Health, hygiene, and comfort

    Even in times of disaster, people still need a "safe space where they can be alone". It is important to have a ventilation fan to remove odors inside, a structure that is easy to clean, and a spacious toilet area, allowing people to regain their normal selves and become more positive and energetic while living in a harsh environment such as an evacuation center.

Barrier-free design for easy use by the elderly and people with disabilities Health, hygiene, and comfort

Pressing issues

  • Securing quantity

    According to the "Guidelines for securing and managing toilets in evacuation centers" issued by the Japanese Cabinet Office, it is desirable to have one toilet for every 50 evacuees right after a disaster strikes, and one for every 20 people if the evacuation is prolonged, based on the records of the past disasters when portable restrooms were set up and the Sphere standards. However, local governments across Japan have not secured enough quantity in advance. In another case, many of the local governments have stockpiled emergency toilets but have not yet fully informed their residents about where they stockpiled them or of how to use them.

  • Securing safe and secure toilet environments in times of disaster

    We can only use the restroom in peace when we have privacy. Tent-type emergency toilets installed outdoors are relatively inexpensive and can be compact when folded, making them suitable for stockpiling in small spaces. However, they may not always be practical in terms of security for women and children or the needs of people in wheelchairs. There have also been cases where the tent has flapped or collapsed due to strong winds. Relatively heavy emergency toilets are less likely to collapse, and they can protect privacy.

  • Stockpiling toilet kits

    You never know when or where you might encounter a disaster. It is expected that there will be chaos at evacuation centers immediately after a disaster, and long lines will be at the utility hole toilets. The Noto Peninsula Earthquake has brought disposable toilet into the spotlight. At the exhibition, people said "I bought and stockpiled three days' worth of disposable toilets, but I have not used them." or "I used a disposable toilet which I bought for stockpiling, but it did not solidify much.". If it takes long for the waste to solidify, people worry if there is a line formed outside or start to feel uncomfortable about the smell. Other people get worried if the next person using the toilet will think it smells. People often hold back from using the restroom at evacuation centers, and this can lead to disaster-related deaths. With guidance from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Starlite recommends everyone to stockpile toilet kits for one week, use the kits in a non-emergency situation, and even decide where and how to store the waste bag.

Securing safe and secure toilet environments in times of disaster Stockpiling toilet kits

Starlite will continue to spread the word about the importance of emergency toilets through exhibitions, events, and evacuation drills.

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