Civic programs in many jurisdictions are promoting disposal of old toilets that use large volumes of water and encouraging installation of new toilets that use much less. What is happening to the massive load of old toilets resulting from these campaigns? Do we know what percentage of the load is going direct to landfill disposal? Are there practical and useful ways to reuse or recycle old toilets? Are there good programs or ideas to aid jurisdictions that need inspiration?
Neil Chura
Toilet Recycling - the "Low Flush Hang-Over"
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Since 2007, we have recycled about 90% of the old toilets removed as part of our low-income & non-profit retrofit programs. Initially, I made calls to all the local gravel pits to see if they could take old porcelain. Of the 20 or so I called, I only found 1 that was willing! Our Contractor who installs new HETs puts the old porcelain only (it's very important to remove all metal, plastic, and seats) in a dumpster that gets hauled over to the gravel pit when full. They crush up the porcelain and use it for concrete aggregate substitute. My contact there even says that with the new emphasis on "Green Building", purchasers of the recycled aggregate could qualify for LEED credits!
One other important note: porcelain can be very dangerous to work with, and the Contractor's crews wear protective equipment when removing the bolts & other parts. They tap it with a hammer & the parts come right off, but shards of porcelain have been known to slice through even canvas overalls. For this reason, we still haven't figured out a "safe" way to provide this service to customers applying for rebates, so most of those old toilets are ending up in a landfill still....
Cindy Moe
Denver Water
United States
I've read that porcelain from old toilets is being used for building up reefs and underwater structures/channels, or jetties.
Crushed toilets and other porcelain items were used to shape artificial oyster reefs in the Chesapeake Bay instead of the traditional oyster shells. Environmentalists came upon this idea to revive native oyster populations following decades of disease, pollution, and habitat loss in the region. However, transporting the toilets and other porcelain goods proved to be more expensive than transporting the shells, so this method likely won't catch on until it becomes cheaper.
This is from a quick google search:
In Seattle, a city program that rewards building owners for
replacing old, water-wasteful restroom fixtures with those
that use less or no water, grinds up the old fixtures and uses
it to help pave roads.
- Old toilets and urinals can be crushed and re-used for
building foundations. At the Inland Empire Utilities
Agencys administration headquarters in Chino, CA, these recycled fixtures
helped the facility earn Platinum Certification from the US Green Building
Councils Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Program (LEED).
- A young Texas entrepreneur has developedand patenteda way to turn old
toilets and urinals into terrazzo floors. And, designers have found working with
the recycled restroom fixture terrazzo floors allows them to develop more
varied and complex designs than working with conventional terrazzo
aggregates of cement, marble and glass chips.
Theresa Cross
MS RD CD
Clark County Public Health
United States
A risk assessment should identify suitable Personal protection clothing and equipment (PPEC. stainless mesh boning gloves would be ideal for handling porcelain and also chain saw protective trousers or chaps. safety glasses with a side shields etc.
Perhaps a hammer mill could be utilised and metal parts screened later.
Russell Anderson
Australia
We have reviewed the numbers regarding the loading our toilet rebate program has had on the landfill in Calgary. As of last year the estimated mass of toilets being landfill disposed was at 200 metric tonne/year. At that level toilet disposal hardly registered as a fractional percentage of the annual waste going to landfill in Calgary annually. Currently we have just begun to divert all manner of recycleables from residential single family homes so the percentage will be greater relative to what is going to the landfills now, but it is likely still very low. Our goal is to divert 80 of waste from our landfills by 2020 and at that point toilets would become a much greater percentage of the overall disposal. That said I sincerely hope the majority of toilets are replaced in Calgary by that time. So I am not sure diverting toilets from the landfill will ever become a priority.
Researching some of the end uses for toilet porcelain I have found similar results stated by the others. Unfortunately I have had very little success locally finding an end user willing to utilize the material in weight bearing construction (road crush or concrete wall construction) largely due to the lack of knowledge in the engineering community about how the material reacts to compaction and or bonding in concrete compared to conventional material.
Other end uses I am exploring is as a weeping tile aggregate, landfill roads applications or base material for 'backyard' concrete patio projects where engineering specs are a bit lighter.
Hope this is helpful....
Aaron Boulton-Chaykowski
Water Management Analyst
City of Calgary, Water Resources
Canada
Are all the non-porcelain parts of the toilets metal or attached to metal? Could they be removed by magnets?
If the crushed components are being used as fill, do the extra parts need to be removed?
Alternatively - could you set up a tourist attraction - using all old recycled materials (especially old toilets) in a funky looking garden? I've seen old shoes painted up and used in a display garden, and toilets would certainly get some attention!
Tanya Melnyk
Senior Awareness Coordinator
Alberta Environment
Canada
Hello,
I would recommend contacting the nearest local 'commercial materials exchange' person. In Calgary, Alberta this would be Sarah Begg of Clean Calgary Association. In British Columbia it's the Recycling Council of British Columbia. In Georgia it's Chuck Boelkins of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. In Tennessee its' Richard Buggeln of the University of Tennessee. Etc.
These folks work to find end uses for commercial quantities of 'hard to recycle/reuse' material. They often have an online service which lets you list items to give away, or find items you have a use for.
Our company supplies these online waste exchanges. You can find a list of those we supply here. http://www.iwastenotsystems.com/our-clients
Products like 'used toilets' are difficult to place, but if anyone knows where to place them, it will be the 'commercial materials exchange coordinator' for you area.
Norm Ruttan
iWasteNot Systems
You can find a list of commercial materials exchanges here. http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/tools/exchstat.htm
Norm Ruttan
President
iWasteNot Systems
Canada
www.iwastenotsystems.com
In Fort Collins, Colorado - our Streets Dept grind the toilets and use the toilets as street fill. Our roads are paved with toilets. It reduces the amount of concrete we have to use.
Dr Rosemarie Russo
Dr Rosemarie Russo
Sustainability Coordinator
City of Fort Collins
United States
...
I don't have hard data, but I did see a piece on one of those do-it-yourself channels that the porcelain portions of old toilets are being smashed and used in recycled countertops and as a surrogate for gravel aggregate in some applications. I hope this was useful.
Angie Brown
Watershed Specialist
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
United States