World Toilet Day: Wastewater matters as toilets go spectacular

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It is a place you use every day, a place where you relieve yourself and sometimes mingle a bit with others but you never really pay much attention to.

It's the toilet – a facility crucial to the well-being of human beings. Toilets save lives as it efficiently disposes human waste, which may otherwise spread killer diseases. Today about 4.5 billion people still live without access to a household toilet.

This is the genesis of the World Toilet Day aspired – no joke. And this year the theme is wastewater.

Photo via worldtoiletday.info

What is World Toilet Day?

World Toilet Day is about inspiring action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. It was established by the World Toilet Organization on November 19, 2001, and the inaugural World Toilet Summit was held on the same day.

In 2013, the United Nations passed a resolution to officially recognize the day in a bid to make sanitation for all a global development priority. It is coordinated by UN-Water in collaboration with governments and partners.

World Toilet Day logo. /Photo via wikipedia.org

In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) included a target under Goal 6 to ensure everyone everywhere has access to toilets by 2030.

Starting in 2012, World Toilet Day themes or slogans were identified for each year. Then starting in 2016, the themes were selected to match the World Water Day theme for that year.

The theme for this year is Wastewater. Globally, 80 percent of the wastewater generated by society flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused.

'Where does our poo go?'

As part of the topic above, the organizers are asking the question, "Where does our poo go?"

Poo gets out into the environment and spreads killer diseases, seriously undermining progress in health and child survival. It is estimated that 862 million people worldwide still practice open defecation, according to the UN. Even in wealthy countries, treatment of wastewater can be far from perfect, leading to rivers and coastlines that cannot be safely fished in or enjoyed.

Photo via worldtoiletday.info

Only 39 percent of the global population (2.9 billion people) use a safely-managed sanitation service, that is, excreta safely disposed of in situ or treated off-site.

To achieve SDG 6, the UN says that everyone's poo needs to take a 4-step journey: containment, transport, treatment, disposal or reuse.

Toilets meets aesthetics

People go to toilets to answer their call of nature. You go in them, you use them, you wash your hands and you are gone.

It is sometimes, well, most of the time, smelly and untidy. However, some architecture designers and artists around the world are cracking their brains to make toilets a better and intriguing place, and also an endeavor in aesthetics.

Here are some of their spectacular works:

Hut with the Arc

The public toilet was designed for visitors to the Setouchi Triennial Art Festival in Shodoshima, Japan. It was designed by Japanese design firm Tato Architects, with inspiration from local soy sauce workshops.

Photo via huanqiu.com

Roadside Rest Stop

Situated near the Arctic region in Norway, the red-walled toilet provides a shelter for adventurous travelers.

Photo via huanqiu.com

Trail Restroom

The restroom locates near the Colorado River in Texas, the United States. It was the first restroom set up in the park in the past three decades. The restroom consists of 49 erected steel plates. The facade of the toilet resembles that of the skyline of a typical metropolis.

Photo via huanqiu.com

Public toilets in Jinhua Architecture Park

These toilets are more like independent architectures rather than toilets. They are placed in Jinhua Architecture Park in east China's Zhejiang Province. The bending structure is good for ventilation and lighting.

Photo via huanqiu.com

See-through Toilet

It may be a little bit awkward here as you can see people walking by sitting in the room. But rest assured, only you can watch the outsiders while no outsiders can see inside. You can find the toilet in several European cities, such as outside the Tate Museum in London.

Photo via huanqiu.com

Aurland

Standing at the edge of a cliff in Norway, you can answer the call of nature while observing nature. The toilet was designed by Saunders Arkitektur & Wilhelmsen Arkitektur.

Photo via huanqiu.com

Transparent Floor

It takes some courage to use this toilet in Mexico. The moment you hit the flush button, the ground beneath disappears gradually and becomes an abyss.

Photo via mpora.com

His and Hers

The seaside, somewhat shabby toilets were set up after the Washington Post introduced the Jericoacoara, Brazil as one of the world's best beaches. The toilets were made from palm frond leaves.

Photo via stylist.co.uk

Toilet Island

The paradisiacal setting can be spotted in the Caribbean Sea off Placencia, Belize. An exclusive experience. Only it would take you a long drive to the shops if you run out of papers.

Photo via stylist.co.uk

Outhouse

The simple-looking toilet is equipped with high technology. It features an automatic flush powered by the the tide and flushes all the waste away twice a day. Though it can be hard to find due to its remote location on the shoreline of Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, Canada.

Outhouse /Photo via stylist.co.uk