On Nov. 6-8 global innovators, development banks, corporate partners, sanitation utilities, and public officials gathered to attend the first Reinvented Toilet Expo in Beijing.
The opening panel featured Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank, as well as other leading representatives. The panel discussed commitments to non-sewered sanitation and actions required to develop the industry, including standardization.
Reinvented toilet technology is designed to revolutionize the lives of billions of people around the world who lack sufficient clean sanitation systems. The expo showcases new and pilot-tested approaches to sanitation that will provide effective alternatives for collecting, managing, and treating human waste.
This technology can be supported and further developed with the launch of the world’s first dedicated International Standard. ISO 30500, Non-sewered sanitation systems – Prefabricated integrated treatment units – General safety and performance requirements for design and testing, provides safety and performance requirements that will not only enable their effective manufacture, but the development of the sector as a whole.
The Reinvented Toilet Expo is intended for governments, development banks, and private-sector leaders wanting to accelerate the adoption of innovative sanitation technologies in developing regions around the world. These technologies are at the forefront of a growing movement to improve sanitation for the world’s poorest and contributes towards global water and sanitation targets outlined in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.
On display were various new sanitation solutions that eliminate harmful pathogens and convert waste into by-products without the need to be attached to mains sewers. Many of the new technologies and products showcased are expected to meet the requirements of the new 30500 standard, futher demonstrating their safety and effective performance.
Find out how ISO standards contribute directly to all of the SDGs.
