Designing Restrooms for Sustainable Operation  

Designing restrooms for sustainable operation requires unique strategies beyond those typically associated with green building. Sustainable operation is closely associated with economical operation, providing architects with opportunities to support their clients’ long-term business goals.

Photo courtesy of Bobrick Washroom Equipment, Inc.

Through thoughtful product selection that takes into consideration energy costs, battery usage, waste, and usage of consumables, commercial restrooms will not only operate sustainably and cost-effectively, but they will also retain the integrity of the architect’s aesthetic vision, as nonsustainable replacement products may be chosen by the owner at his or her discretion.

This course reviews strategies through which architects can support their overall sustainability goals with an authentically green approach to building operation. It focuses on operational approaches to sustainable restroom design and will not go into detail with LEED certification or environmentally responsible materials and related documentation, such as environmental or health product declarations.

The Benefits of Sustainable Operation

For the first learning objective, we will identify the health and wellness benefits associated with sustainable operation.

Thinking Beyond LEED

In modern commercial architecture, LEED certification and green design are increasingly important and often expected by building owners. When striving for green design, some primary contributors typically come to mind; for example, using environmentally responsible materials on the building envelope, interior products made from recycled content, or leveraging the Regional Materials credit by utilizing materials that require minimal transportation resources.

Although strategies like these may include the richest sources of LEED credits and associated documentation, more operational design strategies for the interior of the building can also contribute toward the overall sustainable intent. In fact, when striving for green design, being “authentically sustainable”—that is, ensuring long-term sustainability in ways that may not be recognized by the most prominent green design standards—will require a forward-looking approach to reducing impact on the environment and minimizing operational costs for the building owner.

Financial Benefits for Facilities

By designing restrooms with future operations in mind, facilities can make the most of their upfront investments in building products and reduce long-term operational costs, such as usage of consumables, including soap and paper towels; energy costs; water usage and management costs; waste and waste management costs; maintenance costs, as many sustainable products generally require less labor hours to maintain and improve worker productivity; and potential tax incentives.

In addition, a sustainable approach to restroom operation can optimize the life cycle of the building, thereby increasing its property value. On top of the many financial benefits, this approach also can result in positive public relations for companies, improved morale for employees or tenants in the building, and LEED certification for the building or other green building accolades or certifications.

Tenant Satisfaction

Efficient restrooms can also make an environment more pleasant to work in, leading to increased tenant satisfaction. This translates to lower tenant turnover and subsequent more reliable revenue streams for the building owner. In fact, according to a 2015 study conducted by DTZ Research, there is a statistical link between tenant satisfaction and sustainability efforts involving cost savings from energy, water, and other forms of conservation.

The study showed tenant satisfaction scores to be seven points higher in buildings with at least one sustainability certification. In addition, buildings that achieve LEED’s Existing Buildings (EB) certification for Operations and Maintenance scored 10 points higher than buildings that did not. ENERGY STAR buildings also scored 30 points higher in satisfaction compared to those without that certification.

Younger Demographics

As the proportion of Millennials in the workforce increases and more Baby Boomers retire, it is essential for design professionals to understand the needs and preferences of this critical constituency that places high value on sustainability on the parts of their employers.

A study conducted by research firm Lightspeed in 2017 revealed that nearly one in 10 millennials would quit their jobs if they found out their current employer was not sustainable. Other findings included that nine in 10 millennials say it is important to work for a sustainable company (compared to 84 percent of Gen Xers and 77 percent of Baby Boomers), and more than 80 percent of Millennials believe employers have a responsibility to encourage recycling in the workplace.

In addition, the 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey concluded that millennials actively seek employers whose environmental values align with theirs. These findings underscore the role that sustainable operation can play in helping buildings satisfy their tenants, improve retention, and support their overall business goals.

Benefits for Design Professionals

For architects and designers, an authentically green approach also can deliver a range of benefits beyond just LEED certification, including improved client relationships and a positive reputation in the market; endurance of their original design visions, as sustainable products are less likely to be replaced with less-aesthetic products by the building owner; and satisfied tenants, leading to satisfied building owners.

Sources of Waste and Sustainable Solutions

For the second learning objective, we will review common sources of costly, nonsustainable restroom operation and related solutions.

To enable sustainable operation, it is critical to give thoughtful consideration to the products being specified. Consider products that save money and resources, including products that reduce waste, energy consumption, and usage of consumables and water, as well as products that do not use batteries. Products that are time saving and easy to refill and maintain are also important.

Reducing Excess Waste

Specifying inappropriate solutions can result in excess waste, from consumable packaging to the consumables themselves, which can be a primary contributor to the nonsustainable operation of restrooms.

Paper Towel Stub Rolls

Specifying an inappropriate towel system can cause excess waste, as some paper towel systems can be more wasteful than others. For example, many roll paper towel systems leave what is known as a “stub roll” at the end of each roll. The stub roll will comprise a portion of unused paper towels that must be discarded, resulting in excess waste.

Batteries

Especially as no-touch accessories gain in popularity, battery usage also can be a consideration. Used batteries are waste that must be disposed of and/or recycled. However, alternative power sources are available. Batteries that are discarded as trash and not appropriately recycled typically end up in landfills.

Soap Packaging

When designing a green building, give thoughtful consideration to how the building will operate once it is occupied. When designing a prestige, Class A and/or LEED-certified building in particular, being authentically sustainable requires a holistic approach to reducing waste throughout the entire life cycle of the building.

For example, specifying an inappropriate soap-dispensing system can lead to excess plastic waste. In particular, cartridge soap-dispensing systems require the facility to use smaller, individual plastic soap cartridges that often are proprietary to the dispenser unit, restricting the owner’s purchasing freedom. With each refill, janitorial staff must replace the previous plastic cartridge with a new one. Further, cartridge soap generally empties faster than bulk systems. Over time, this excess packaging can lead to more waste, in addition to the costs and labor hours associated with replacing the cartridges.

To address the excess plastic waste associated with proprietary soap-dispensing systems, nonproprietary bulk soap systems are available. These systems deliver a range of benefits, including enabling the usage of universal soap, which can be purchased on the open market, thereby reducing costs and offering greater choice, and eliminating labor-intensive replacement and disposal of partially filled cartridges.

Soap Usage

Many bulk soap-dispensing systems utilize bulk foam soap, which is a highly sustainable choice, as patrons will tend to use less foam than liquid to achieve an effective hand wash. Foam soap dispensers diffuse air into a liquid foaming soap solution to create a lathery foam that today’s patrons often prefer over liquid or lotion soap.

Foam soap offers numerous cost and sustainability benefits over liquid soap, including a reduced number of hand washes for a given volume of soap and increased soap volume compared to liquid soap. This is because air in the foam bulks up the soap to 10 times its original volume, providing greater hand coverage. This results in decreased soap and water usage by patrons and a rich lather that promotes a complete, luxurious, and effective hand wash, enhancing the patron experience.

Soap Dispenser Maintenance

The filling mechanism of the soap dispenser can have a significant impact on maintenance costs of the restroom. Bottom-fill dispensers are a primary culprit of janitorial strain and labor hours, as they typically require staff to bend under the lavatory counter to replace a proprietary soap cartridge. This process often requires maintenance staff to temporarily remove the ADA panel below the lavatory, which requires additional time and strain.

Due to the cost of maintenance, it is common for bottom-fill dispensers to be replaced with owner-provided dispensers early in the restroom’s life cycle. Plastic, mirror-mounted dispensers are typically chosen to replace the specified bottom-fill product.

Top-fill dispensers, on the other hand, save time and effort by eliminating this process completely. Janitorial staff simply need to remove or slide a cap off the top of the dispenser to refill it with bulk jug soap. Over the course of a restroom’s lifetime, extrapolated across several dispensers, restrooms, and floors within a building, these labor savings can make a significant impact on operating costs.

Paper Towel Dispensing Systems

To promote sustainable, economical operation while meeting the needs of users, the combination of hand-drying solutions should be appropriate for the building type and occupancy of the given project. While roll paper towel systems are generally considered more sustainable than folded paper towel systems due to their standard portion-control features, employing a few strategies can help further ensure sustainable operation.

Many roll towel dispensers feature adjustable towel pull lengths and portion-control features to limit the amount of towels dispensed per use. This reduces waste. Some units also feature shorter second-pull lengths and delayed second activation to further discourage wasteful dispensing. However, in high-traffic environments, portion-control features may have a diminished effect.

In addition, some units are designed specifically to ensure every roll goes its furthest, providing complete consumable usage and less replacement time. Further, many roll towel systems can permit open-market purchasing freedom and cost savings by allowing facilities to utilize nonproprietary paper towels at a lower cost than proprietary paper towels.

Roll vs. Folded Paper Towels

While roll towels are generally more sustainable, many facilities prefer folded paper towels due to their versatility and the elimination of stub-roll waste. For example, employees often use folded towels at their workstations to remove makeup, grab restroom door handles, and clean up minor spills. Folded towels are also generally more absorbent than roll towels. Since all towels are the same size, portion control is built in.

It should be noted that patrons often are responsible for “handful” dispensing when using folded paper towel systems, which involves self-dispensing a clump of folded towels rather than one-at-a-time to ensure a thorough hand dry. Fortunately, solutions are available to mitigate the impact on paper towel usage, as folded paper towel dispensers can be equipped with accessories that enable portion control. These add-on accessories utilize a support rod to eliminate handful dispensing by separating individual C- or multifold towels as they are pulled, ensuring that only one towel is dispensed at a time. These units have been shown to be as economical as roll towel systems, reducing paper towel usage by up to 20 percent, and are easily installed in existing cabinets in the field, without tools.

Hand Dryers

Hand dryers are an increasingly common solution to replace or complement paper towels. Hand dryers eliminate paper towel waste completely, along with the labor required to remove waste. They also eliminate the need to store and manage paper towel inventory. In fact, hand dryers can result in 95 percent cost savings compared to paper towel systems.

An authentically sustainable approach to design requires close attention to all resources used in the restroom, including energy usage. For this reason, it is important to note that the wattage and functionality of certain restroom accessories can lead to high energy costs. Although hand dryers dramatically reduce waste, they can be a culprit of high electrical costs—in recent years, evolving consumer preferences have driven demand for hand dryers with quicker dry times.

Thus, high-speed hand dryers, also known as jet dryers, have increased in popularity. Such models provide a faster hand dry and hasten traffic flow in the restroom. Many high-speed hand dryers run on high wattages and/or voltages, in addition to high noise levels. Over time, this can lead to higher energy bills for the building owner. However, some newer hand-dryer innovations can satisfy the desire for a quick, thorough hand dry without the high energy costs. Some units have power ratings as a low as 200 watts, or 0.2 kilowatts.

When motor life is a consideration, newer technologies can have longer life expectancies—as much as 7,500 hours, or 10 years, in high-traffic environments. This leads to reduced replacement cycles, less environmental waste, and further savings for the owner.

To ensure optimal use of hand dryers, it is essential to take a holistic approach to product selection. Before specifying a hand dryer, consider and balance a number of factors, including:

• Low-wattage units can help mitigate the energy impact of hand dryers, especially in high-traffic environments.
• Many hand dryers have an institutional aesthetic.
• Recessed or semi-recessed stainless-steel units can elevate design.
• Excess or unpleasant noise can negatively impact the patron experience.
• Hand-dryer noise levels should be researched to ensure appropriate acoustics for the project.

Photo courtesy of Bobrick Washroom Equipment, Inc.

Figure 1

Some hand dryers feature designs that help minimize puddles and splashing. Some models, such as the one shown in Figure 1, may include drying alcoves, which catch and absorb water, thereby reducing maintenance while improving safety and hygiene.

Finally, although LEED certification is typically the focus of sustainability efforts, it does not address many operational issues. Approaching product selection holistically can ensure authentic, long-term sustainability.

Lighting

Lighting also can contribute to high energy costs in the restroom. In many commercial restrooms, the lights are always on, regardless of whether or not the restroom is in use, leading to high electrical costs. In addition, conventional, fluorescent, or incandescent light bulbs are extremely inefficient. In fact, with incandescent bulbs, 90 percent of the energy used goes toward heat, while only 10 percent is used to produce actual light.

High-wattage bulbs, which are common among incandescent bulbs, are gradually becoming less readily available and can be culprits of high energy usage as well. Fluorescent lights also can be inefficient because they throw light in all directions, which can be wasteful and a significant energy draw. Compared to conventional, fluorescent, or incandescent light bulbs, LEDs are drastically more sustainable and cost-effective. LED lights use 75 percent less energy than incandescent lights. The lower amount of heat produced with LEDs also reduces HVAC running costs.

While fluorescent lights throw light in all directions, LEDs are directional, so they throw light exactly where it is needed. LEDs can have up to 50,000 maintenance-free hours of useful life compared to a lifespan of around 10,000 hours for fluorescent lights. The useful life of an LED is defined as the time it takes for the light output to reach 70 percent of the initial output.

Finally, while fluorescent lights take time to get to full brightness, LEDs light up instantly. In addition, by utilizing occupancy sensors instead of manual lighting systems, facilities can increase energy savings by 30 to 90 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

LED Lighted Mirrors

Lighted mirrors are gaining in popularity in commercial restrooms due to their aesthetic appeal and cost-efficiency compared to traditional vanities.

Illuminated LED mirrors require less labor and material cost by using only one power outlet. They also eliminate the need for costly wall sconces and vanity lights. Additionally, LED mirrors create an elegant, modern aesthetic that enhances and simplifies vanity design.

Touchless Accessories

Specifying the right touchless accessories is critical to sustainable operation. No-touch accessories, particularly faucets, are gaining in popularity due to their hygienic function and ability to minimize water usage.

Note that many automatic accessories require batteries to operate. Batteries can be another contributor to excess waste and energy costs. Some fixtures may need to be hardwired, while other models may require an AC power source, which can contribute to high electric bills.

Also note that there are two primary types of hands-free sensors used in notouch accessories: infrared, which is most common, and fiberoptic, which is less common. Infrared sensors, despite their popularity, can result in wasted water or consumables, as they utilize an arc-shaped beam that does not always deactivate properly. Meanwhile, fiberoptic sensors are generally more reliable, leading to less waste. When deciding between automatic dispensing products, be aware that the sensor type can have an effect on operations.

To get the benefits of no-touch faucets without the associated energy costs, some newer automatic faucets generate energy from the pressure in the water lines using a hydrogenerator rather than from batteries or an AC power source. These typically offer the best balance of hygiene and sustainable operation.

Water Usage

Plumbing fixtures also can lead to excessive water use. For example, at the lavatory, patrons tend to use more water with liquid soap-dispensing systems compared to foam soap, which dispenses into the patron’s hand already lathered.

In addition, the type of faucet specified can have a significant impact on water usage. In some facilities that employ manual faucets, users may leave the water running even upon completion of their hand wash. Faucets also may feature inefficient flow, leading to excess water usage.

Similarly, the type of toilet and/or urinal can use a high volume of water. In particular, manual flushing systems can enable excess water use. However, with automatic flushing systems, faulty or ineffective sensors can be prone to premature “false flushes.” Inefficient flush valves, or flushometers, are also a consideration, as they use a large volume of water for each flush.

Faucets

The type of faucet specified can enable significant water savings. Today’s faucets are available with various spray patterns and flow ranges as low as 0.5 gallons per minute, or GPM.

Metering faucets, which are engineered to prevent run-on by timing out after a short amount of time, are particularly sustainable, as they can reduce water use by as much as 50 percent. Other water-saving faucet features include adjustable cycle times, which are typically between 10 and 15 seconds—a 10-second cycle time is ideal for high-traffic and vandalism-prone restrooms—and automatic activation and shutoff, which studies show can reduce the amount of water required for an effective hand wash from 0.65 gallons to 0.2 gallons.

Toilets and Urinals

To address the problem of inefficient toilets and urinals, consider flush valves with low GPF figures.

For toilets, 1.6 GPF is industry standard. However, high-efficiency toilets, or HETs, can use less than 1.3 GPF, and newer models can use as little as 1.28 GPF. For urinals, 1 GPF is industry standard. High-efficiency urinals, or HEUs, use less than 0.5 GPF, with newer models using as little as 0.125 GPF.

Automatic vs. Manual Flushing

Automatic flushing toilets and urinals also can enhance sustainability. In fact, sensor flushometers can reduce water volume by up to 30 percent. In addition, automatic-flushing toilets also improve hygiene, odor control, and air quality.

To optimize auto-flush toilets, certain sensor features can help further minimize water usage. For example, some flushometers are engineered with a delay once the user steps away from the fixture to prevent false flushing. This promotes not only water savings but also a reduction in maintenance and operational costs. Some sensor flushometers also can adjust the flush volume based on the user’s distance from the sensor.

Waterless Urinals

Waterless urinals are also available, eliminating water usage completely. Since waterless urinals do not use water, splashing is eliminated, improving hygiene and offering superior odor control. Waterless urinals can help contribute to up to four LEED points for reducing water use. However, waterless urinals may be more difficult or time consuming to maintain and sanitize.

The Relationship Between Sustainability and Aesthetics

For the third learning objective, we will describe the relationship between sustainable operation and the preservation of the designer’s aesthetic vision.

When you fail to assess products correctly and specify inappropriate products, the restroom quickly will become difficult to operate. This can have several implications for your design vision.

Owner-Provided Products

For building owners, products that are difficult or time consuming to maintain equate to more labor hours, which translates to costs. For example, cartridge-based soap systems can be difficult to maintain. Not only do they require janitorial staff to bend under the counter, but the cost of proprietary soap cartridges also can add up over time. Even if the soap dispenser looks great, the owner may replace the system early in the restroom’s life cycle due to its inefficient or wasteful operation.

As the architect, you have no control over the product that the owner selects to replace your originally specified product. In the case of soap dispensers, it is not unusual for owners to replace the specified product with a hastily attached plastic wall- or mirror-mounted dispenser. This can compromise the overall design of the restroom and have a significant impact on aesthetics.

Meanwhile, a top-fill, nonproprietary bulk system can both look great and be easy to maintain. Roll towel dispensers are another prime example. If a stainless-steel towel dispenser with no ability to limit pull lengths is specified, the owner may soon realize that patrons are using more towels than desired, requiring the owner to buy more paper towels more often. This can lead to the stainless-steel unit being replaced with a plastic unit that may be more economical but ultimately compromises the architect’s aesthetic intent.

Preserving Your Design Vision

As an architect, your value is intimately tied to the design recommendations that you provide.

By providing sustainable product specifications, you are providing good client service that benefits the facility. Although you may never actually see the restrooms you design after the initial installation, you and your firm will be evaluated on the design for years to come.

Therefore, by researching and specifying products that boast numerous benefits rather than just one or two, your design stands a better chance of withstanding challenges and value-engineering from the project’s various stakeholders.

By choosing products that are all at once aesthetically pleasing, sustainable, and easy to maintain, your original vision is more likely to endure rather than be disrupted by non-harmonizing products.

Case Studies

When restrooms utilize accessories that are not aesthetically integrated, industry professionals often refer to them as “Frankenrestrooms.” Often, these restrooms do not operate sustainably and create a fragmented, inefficient patron experience.

Photo courtesy the U.S. Airforce

Figure 2

Can you identify all of the design issues with the restroom pictured in Figure 2?

The soap dispensers are proprietary, wall-mounted units, and they do not harmonize with any other accessories. Since they are mounted on the mirror, they may cause excessive splashing on the counter, leading to increased maintenance and poor hygiene. The roll paper towel dispensers are large and bulky, and they do not harmonize with any other accessory. Finally, the manual faucets also may increase water use.

Photo courtesy of Bobrick Washroom Equipment, Inc.

Figure 3

Figure 3 shows a restroom in a high-end hotel lobby. Direct your attention to the counter, where you can see stacks of loose paper towels and a noncommercial soap dispenser. Both of these solutions are highly unsustainable.

In the photo, the soap dispenser is low capacity, which means the operator will have to refill it more often. The dispenser also does not match the overall aesthetic of the restroom.

Instead of a paper towel dispenser or hand dryer, loose stacks of paper towels are employed, which leads to waste. Patrons may grab a handful of towels, as opposed to an appropriate dispenser, which may limit dispensing lengths (in the case of roll towels) or ensure that only one towel is dispensed at a time (in the case of folded).

Finally, note that the lighting in this restroom is antiquated, utilizing incandescent light bulbs and no automatic sensors.

Photo: Jasper Sanidad Photography

Figure 4

Shown in Figure 4 is a gender-neutral restroom in a LEED-certified library at a major state university.

Notice the plastic, wall-mounted soap dispenser beside the counter. This compromises the overall design of the restroom, as the restroom features high-design products, such as privacy compartments and contemporary no-touch faucets.

At the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in California, maintenance staff was having difficulty refilling the soap dispensers when soap ran out. This happened frequently due to busy trade shows and conferences. Since the system was a proprietary, cartridge-based system, it was necessary for maintenance personnel to crawl underneath the sinks to refill the cartridges.

Often, while they were replacing the cartridges, paneling under the sink would become dislodged and fall on workers.

In addition, due to the sheer number of dispensers and the size of the convention center, maintenance staff regularly would dispose of cartridges containing small amounts of soap to avoid making additional trips to and from the restrooms.

However, by switching to a manual bulk foam soap dispenser throughout the facility, they were able to replace their previous soap cartridges with jug foam soap. The dispenser’s top-fill design also significantly reduced the strain on their maintenance staff. Plus, the dispenser’s 34-ounce bottle capacity meant that maintenance staff returned for refills less often.

Ultimately, more than 300 units were installed throughout the entire convention center. After installing the dispensers, the convention center reported that it was spending 80 percent less on soap compared to the previous system.

Photo courtesy of Bobrick Washroom Equipment, Inc.

Figure 5

The illustration in Figure 5 depicts a highly sustainable, design-integrated restroom in a prestige facility. All accessories have clean forms and stainless-steel finishes that interact with the wall and floor patterns.

Note the function of each accessory as it relates to sustainable operation. The hand dryer not only eliminates the need to purchase or dispose of paper towel waste but also has a water-absorbing alcove that prevents water from splashing on the walls and floor. This reduces maintenance time for the facility operator, which equates to value and money for the owner.

The soap dispensers are top-fill bulk foam systems, which are easy to maintain, requiring no removal of ADA panels or bending under the counter to refill. Since they utilize bulk foam soap, they reduce water usage from hand washing and reduce plastic waste compared to cartridge-based systems. Since they are counter mounted, they minimize water splashing on the counter, which reduces maintenance. In addition, the soap dispensers are design integrated with the faucets to reinforce the harmonized aesthetic.

Since all of these products enable sustainable, cost-saving operation, the integrated aesthetic of the restroom is much more likely to withstand challenges to the specification and survive for years to come.

Communicating the Value of Sustainability

For the fourth learning objective, we will identify ways to educate your client in order to support your specification.

Communicating the Full Value of Sustainable Products

When specifying products for any project, typically you will provide support materials, such as building information modeling (BIM) analyses, technical data sheets, and compliance documentation. However, equally important is communicating the full long-term value of the products that you specify to the appropriate stakeholders in the project.

Each stakeholder has the ability to challenge or value engineer products out of your specification. To design authentically green buildings, always consider the impact of products on operations and discuss operational value with the project’s stakeholders. Key stakeholders in the restroom may include your contacts with the property management company, who may challenge your specification for any reason, including initial investment; as well as building service contractors or facility managers and operators, who may challenge your selections due to perceived ease of maintenance.

As an architect, you may engage with a manufacturer’s representative, who can facilitate effective communication and provide these parties with the necessary information to defend your sustainable choices.

When the necessary information is not provided, any of these parties may replace your choices with their own products, compromising not only the operational efficiency of the restroom but also your aesthetic vision and the occupant experience.

“Good, Better, Best” Approach

All product options have attributes that make them more or less sustainable. Thus, the concept of “good, better, best” can be a useful approach for communicating the value of sustainable products to project stakeholders. This communication strategy can take a holistic approach, considering all project requirements, or it can be considered along the axis of a specific requirement, such as energy costs.

For example, there may be a good, better, and best choice if the goal is simply to reduce energy costs. However, in most cases, multiple attributes must be weighed and considered, from ease of maintenance to consumable savings to durability. In these cases, it may be helpful to communicate to your client what the options are and why your choice is the optimal solution. Here are some examples that may help you support your specification.

When communicating the value of sustainable operation relative to initial investment, it is instrumental to make astute dollars-and-cents comparisons whenever possible.

Photo courtesy of Bobrick Washroom Equipment, Inc.

Figure 6

The chart in Figure 6 shows the relative operating cost difference of high-speed hand dryers across three different wattage levels.

Note that the 0.2-kilowatt dryer is the most economical by a significant margin. For every $5 spent to operate the 1-kilowatt unit and every $2.50 spent to operate the 0.5-kilowatt unit, the 0.2-kilowatt unit spends only $1 in electricity costs.

Over the course of a year in a high-traffic environment, this can make a significant impact on the annual operating cost of a building. This good, better, best approach is likely to resonate with a cost-conscious facility, in particular.

When supporting your hand-drying specification, a similar comparison strategy can be utilized to help your client and other parties understand the cost-benefit result on restroom operations.

Photo courtesy of Bobrick Washroom Equipment, Inc.

Figure 7

The chart shown in Figure 7 summarizes the general sustainability of the most common types of hand-drying solutions for commercial restrooms. As you can see, hand dryers are the most sustainable option, as they require no consumables and do not generate waste.

Universal roll towels are the next most sustainable option. Not only do they allow facilities to purchase towel rolls on the open market, but these systems are also available with adjustable dispensing lengths and stub-roll utilization options to minimize patron usage and waste.

Folded, or C-fold, paper towels are the next most sustainable option, especially if a pull-rod accessory is installed to prevent “handful” dispensing by patrons.

Finally, proprietary roll towels are the least sustainable option. Not only do they require facilities to purchase towels from the manufacturer at locked-in prices, but these systems generally also utilize perforated paper towels with no dispensing length adjustment or stub-roll utilization features.

This framework can help the appropriate parties understand the value of your soap-dispenser specification as well. As you can see in Figure 8, nonproprietary bulk foam systems are generally the most sustainable option, as they can be refilled with bulk jug foam soap, reducing plastic waste while minimizing water use. Nonproprietary dispensers also typically allow top filling, drastically reducing maintenance to support economical operation. Bulk, nonproprietary liquid soap is slightly less sustainable than its foam counterpart. Next, any cartridge-based soap system will generally be less sustainable, as they require proprietary plastic cartridges. In addition, proprietary systems typically must be replaced beneath the counter.

Photo courtesy of Bobrick Washroom Equipment, Inc.

Figure 8

Finally, some facility owners may replace specified products with small bottles of consumer retail soap, which is the least sustainable option, as they are often disposed of completely after every use.

The Value of Durability

Communicating the value of durability also can help you support your specification. Products that can withstand heavy use and abuse over long periods of time reduce replacement cycles, leading to more economical operation for your client. This can have a positive impact on the environment in terms of reduced usage of raw materials used to manufacture new products; reduced energy usage from the manufacturing process; reduced manufacturing waste, and thus, less waste in landfills; and lower transportation impact in the supply chain.

Toilet Partition Durability

By specifying the most durable toilet partition material for your projects, the system will last longer, reducing the need for additional construction materials and all of the resources associated with manufacturing and transportation.

When defending your toilet partition material choice, it is critical to communicate the durability benefits of each material as it relates to the documentation you provide. Generally, the most durable toilet partitions materials are compact laminate, color-through phenolic, and high-pressure laminate. To support claims of durability, related compliance and testing documentation should be provided to support your specification.

Conclusion

Restrooms, perhaps more so than any other space found in all commercial buildings, rely on usage of consumables. Consumables, from soap to paper towels to batteries, are frequently a source of janitorial and economic strain for larger facilities and heavy traffic facilities.

However, design professionals have the opportunity to mitigate the impact of traffic and wasteful patron behaviors by specifying thoughtfully designed products engineered to keep costs and maintenance at bay.

Now, you should understand:

• the health and wellness benefits associated with sustainable operation.
• common sources of costly, nonsustainable restroom operation and related solutions.
• the relationship between sustainable operation and the preservation of the designer’s aesthetic vision; and
• ways to educate your client to support your specification.

Thank you for your interest in Designing Restrooms for Sustainable Operation. We hope we have demonstrated the importance of designing restrooms with sustainable operation in mind, as well as strategies to help you specify sustainable products and educate your client. Please contact Bobrick Washroom Equipment, Inc. if you have questions related to the information presented within this program.