Outdoor event planners have their work cut out for them: party favors to make, catering to arrange, and so much more. Yet many of them never think twice about the environmental impact of the gathering. This is a shame since approximately 10% of greenhouse gas emissions trace back to the event industry.
Using paper plates and biodegradable forks and spoons is a good start. There’s one small change that’s right in front of you, though, that could make all the difference. And that’s the bathroom situation at your event.
Simply having a Porta John rental for your guests’ bio needs can do wonders for keeping your carbon footprint in check. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages of a portable toilet rental over outdoor event toilet facilities.
Water Usage
Water is a vanishingly scarce resource. Every time we flush the toilet and wash our hands, we waste a jaw-dropping amount of it without a second thought. Only 3% of the world’s water supply is freshwater, and it’s not enough for our growing population.
We humans are notoriously bad about rationing our water usage. We are draining lakes and rivers, groundwater reservoirs, and wells at an astonishing rate. Some experts estimate we’ll face a massive water crisis in the next 10 years.
The effect on the environment is more concerning, though. Draining freshwater demolishes the ecosystems that they support. To support those ecosystems, we’d have to do the unthinkable: give up our 30-minute showers and backyard pools.
In short, water is a precious resource. Outdoor event toilet facilities can easily consume hundreds upon hundreds of gallons in a single night.
A Porta John Rental Uses Less Water
How are Porta Johns eco-friendly? Porta John water use is, obviously, very low. There’s no flushing and only a small onboard tank for handwashing, depending on which model you choose.
This forces guests to be economical, making it impossible for them to wastewater. Then, at the end of the event, the only water involved is that needed to flush out the Porta John’s latrine tank.
Rest assured, though, guests won’t have to compromise their comfort and restroom hygiene. A portable toilet rental still gives them all they need to clean up after answering nature’s call.
It’s a win-win for your guests and Mother Nature.
Impact of Human Waste on Plant Life
When a man needs to go in the great outdoors, he finds a tree to water. Yet it may come as a surprise to many that doing your business on plants and the earth can harm them more than help.
You’ve seen this when the neighbor’s dog marks his territory on your lawn. The grass turns from green to yellow since the urine kills it. Something similar is happening in nature.
Urine is a good fertilizer in small amounts when mixed with other components. Multiply it by dozens of guests, though, and there’s a high quantity of high nitrogen and ammonia. These chemicals are catastrophic for topsoil, tree bark, and root systems.
Just a handful of guests who opt for a hedgerow to relieve themselves could be doing more damage than they realize. There’s a big temptation at outdoor events, after all, to skip the long indoor toilet lines and just tinkle on a bush.
And that’s just talking about urine. Number 2 has impacts of its own!
A Porta Potty Rental Contains the Waste
A portable toilet rental helps to keep all that harmful human waste in one place. After the event, professionals can take it to a safe place for dumping. Unlike party guests dropping their drawers over nearby plants, Porta John waste gets proper disposal.
Plus, it curbs the temptation for a person to even consider the great outdoors as their toilet in the first place. All in all, it is a major improvement in your environmental impact.
Impact of Human Waste on Wildlife
Plants aren’t the only ones who lose out when human mankind uses them as an impromptu bathroom. Animals will come poking around the area when the humans leave. This leads to the potential for disease to spread via urine and fecal matter.
Animals can inadvertently pick up parasites and pathogens from our guano. They then take them home to contaminate others of their kind.
In some cases, human waste can be flat-out toxic. Using a log instead of a loo could very well make a creature sick that happens upon your mess later on!
Depending on the types of outdoor event toilet facilities, the waste could be flushing out into local waterways, too. You wouldn’t feel so good about using a flushable toilet knowing the contents of the bowl will be swimming with the fish.
A Porta John Keeps the Waste
Again, a Porta John keeps the waste in a sealed container that won’t leak. Professionals can then dump it in designated areas where the environmental impact is manageable.
By choosing a portable toilet rental, you won’t lose any sleep at night, knowing you protected the local squirrel population.
Odor Control
If you’ve ever been to a campground with a human latrine, you know the smell is absolutely foul. We humans have a propensity for very stinky waste that we keep in one place.
The odor can put a damper on your event. But it doesn’t just impact humans. The strong smell of human populations can affect how wildlife behaves in the area. It can attract unwanted pests or displace fragile local populations.
A Porta John Controls Odor
Porta Johns do an excellent job of keeping the stink under control. Despite having no flushing or potential to dump the waist during the event, they isolate the stench – protecting partygoers as much as forest friends.
Rent a Porta John With Portable Services, Inc.
A Porta John rental isn’t just a convenience for outdoor events; it helps you mitigate your environmental impact. For starters, it limits what would otherwise be over-the-top water usage. Further, it contains human waste that would otherwise harm local plants and wildlife.
Portable Services, Inc. can get you started with a simple porta potty or restroom trailer rental. Get a quote for your outdoor event today.