Friday Funny: The Latest Fast Food Trend Is Waterless

Posted by Heidi Schwartz

Patrons check out the seats inside the Magic Restroom Cafe.
A customer checks what is inside of the seat at Magic Restroom Cafe on October 19, 2013 in City of Industry, California. Newly opened, October 18, 2013, Magic Restroom Cafe designed in a toilet/bathroom style can seat 68 customers at ceramic toilet seats. This novelty chain has not announced its intentions regarding the use of waterless toilets in the restroom. (Photo: AFP.)

Pretty soon, more fast food restaurants will be saying goodbye to their traditional toilets. However, that doesn’t mean customers are going to have to resort to drastic measures. In fact, a recent report indicates that more fast food franchises around the world are installing waterless urinal systems and other water-reducing technologies as more areas are grappling with serious water shortages.

According to Klaus Reichardt, CEO and Founder of Waterless Co., restaurants—including fast food locations—are becoming increasingly water conscious.

“An average ‘sit-down, knife-and-fork’ restaurant uses 5,800 gallons of water a day,” he says. “While a fast food facility typically uses only about half this amount (2,900 gallons per day) it still is a huge amount.”

According to the report, those franchises that are installing no-water urinals include the following:

McDonald’s: Waterless urinals are now installed in 750 McDonald’s restaurants throughout Europe and the United Kingdom.

Jollibee: As part of their commitment to conserve natural resources, this Philippines-based fast food chain with locations in North America is installing no-water urinal systems in all their facilities.

Wahaca: A UK Mexican restaurant, which takes pride in building “environmentally efficient restaurants” and has regularly received top marks from the UK’s Sustainable Restaurant Association, has installed waterless urinal systems.

Starbucks: The famed coffee retailer opened a location in the Palace Hotel in Spain, which became the first LEED®-certified location in that country. Starbucks reports it has reduced water consumption by as much as 40% as a result of the installation of no-water urinal systems.

“While the waterless urinals installed in these facilities are from different manufacturers, what is of key importance is the acceptance of the technology,” says Reichardt. “As water concerns mount around the world, fast food restaurants and all kinds of facilities see installing no-water urinals as one of the most effective-and cost-effective-ways to reduce water consumption.”


5 COMMENTS

  1. Notice that most of the article shows the change outside of the USA where sanitation standards are different. One facility here in NJ trialed these a few years ago and stopped installing them (my data 2+ years old) because non-urine products (floor cleaning fluids, grease) dumped into the urinal destroyed the isolation seal and made the urinal an open bucket.

  2. Pretty pathetic that people will spend $6.00 for a $.25 cup of Coffee that takes 36 gallons of water to make and can’t take a wiz without smelling the guys urine before him.
    40% water savings from waterless urinals. COME ON.

    • Robert–so good to hear from you! Even better to get your glowing report on going waterless at your facility. Bravo.

  3. Good to hear that Starbucks is stepping up. It takes 36 gallons of water to make one cup of coffee, when you include the water needed to grow the beans.

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