Swiss institutions announce unisex loos on World Toilet Day

The University and Federal Technology Institute Lausanne (EPFL) in the western Swiss city are to introduce non-gendered, eco-friendly toilets, EPFL said in an announcement marking the UN’s World Toilet Day.

“This initiative is intended to respond to the needs of transgender and non-binary users, as expressed by members and supporters of the LGBTIQ+ community,” EPFL said in a press release on Friday. “These groups stressed that when transgender and non-binary persons use non-gender-neutral bathrooms, the risks they encounter include ‘scornful looks, questions, remarks, verbal abuse and physical violence’.”

EPFL said a major renovation of bathroom facilities on its campus also includes addressing environmental concerns. “By using lake water in the toilet tanks, the new bathrooms will cut potable water consumption by 70%. Urine will be processed and turned into fertilizer, helping to take the pressure off wastewater treatment plants, since removing nitrogen and pharmaceutical residue from urine is energy-intensive,” it explains.

At the University of Lausanne, work is also underway to create gender-neutral bathrooms, according to the statement. In addition, menstrual products are now made available free of charge at toilets on both the University and EPFL campuses.

Friday November 19 is World Toilet Day. The United Nations says that this basic sanitation system is “underfunded, poorly managed or neglected in many parts of the world, with devastating consequences for health, economics and the environment, particularly in the poorest and most marginalized communities. ” It is calling for investment in sanitation also so that women and girls can “play their full role in society, especially during menstruation”.