Something Else to Recycle
As more and more facilities replace old toilets and urinals, facility managers now have the task of discarding the old fixtures. Fortunately, there are a number of uses for old toilets and urinals that make them candidates for recycling.
Toilet/urinal recycling facilities report that the porcelain used in these fixtures can be recycled and used as a cost-effective alternative to make various materials, such as road aggregate, building foundations, and terrazzo tiles.
In Seattle, WA, a city program 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 the aggregate to pave roads.
Included in the building foundation at the Inland Empire Utilities Agency’s administration headquarters in Chino, CA, recycled fixtures helped the facility earn Platinum Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Program (LEED).
A Texas entrepreneur has developed—and patented—a way to turn the old fixtures into terrazzo floors.
Not all recycling facilities are capable of recycling old toilets and urinals. For a list of available programs, visit the EPA at www.govinfo.bz/6777-114.