Most Sustainable Waterless Urinals: Research, Water-savings, and User Feedback

Water conservation is a foundation of One Community’s open source strategy for building a global collaboration of self-sufficient and self-sustainable teacher/demonstration communities, villages, and cities for The Highest Good of All. One of the biggest ways to conserve water is through modifications to daily habits that use a lot of water. Using waterless urinals eliminates water for men when they urinate. So we have researched the best waterless urinal options and accessories as part of our open source contribution to comprehensive sustainable living. This page is a collection of our initial research and will evolve with our experience. It contains the following sections:

• Related Pages
• Why Assess Waterless Urinals
• Ways to Contribute and Consultants
• Best Waterless Urinals We Could Find
• Best Waterless Urinal Accessories We Could Find
• Pee Funnels and Menstrual Cups Research
• Resources
• Summary
• FAQ

RELATED PAGES (mouse-over for descriptions and click for complete pages)

WHY ASSESS WATERLESS URINALS

Urinals are a popular and convenient receptacle used daily and around the world by men. A waterless urinal saves approximately 3,250 gallons of water a year in a traditional household. A larger building with one bathroom, three urinals, and 120 male employees, could save approximately 237,000 gallons of water each year. With this in mind, we’ve done over 30 hours of research just on waterless urinals, urinal companies, and their related accessories. As we incorporate into the Earthbag Village and Duplicable City Center our favorite of these choices, we’ll open source share here what we learn.

Areas we’ll assess will include:

• Ease of installation
• Durability and required maintenance of each urinal
• How well the urinals function with both residential and commercial use
• Individual reviews and opinions on the pros and cons of using the urinals

We’ll then further evolve this page by adding the user feedback and longterm usage data to this open source guide.

WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE TO EVOLVING THIS SUSTAINABILITY COMPONENT WITH US

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RESEARCHER FOR THIS COMPONENT:

Elizabeth Kahn: Environmental Consultant

SUSTAINABILITY BENCHMARKING
THE TOP URINAL COMPANIES

We researched four urinal companies. Benchmarking the sustainability ranking of each company was done using publicly available data and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Sustainability Index’s following 5 areas: Strategic commitments, Value-chain management, Innovation, Environmental Performance, and Social Responsibility. These 5 areas from the AIChE SI Indices were selected because the information for each of them was publicly available. The figure at right shows the elements evaluated and the indices used for each element.

Each company was benchmarked looking at five specific indices within each of the different categories. These consisted of: (1) if there was a sustainability presence on their website (2) if there was a current sustainability report on their website or available to the public (3) what are their sustainability goals (4) what are their sustainability initiatives and (5) what partnerships/collaborations do they have with other sustainability related organizations. Taking all of this data into consideration, we were able to rank them from most sustainable to least.

The 5 Sustainability Indices Used to Sustainably Benchmark Companies

We researched 4 different urinal companies to assess their sustainability ranking. Sloan was the most sustainable company, URIMAT was the second most sustainable, Pūrleve / Xela Innovations was the third most sustainable, and Waterless was the fourth most sustainable.

Sustainability Benchmarking Urinal Company Research Google Spreadsheet – Click to open in a new tab

Using the sustainability ranking process described above, Sloan satisfied 3 of the 5 indices (Sustainability Goals, Sustainability Initiatives, and Partnerships), causing them to be ranked #1. In second place was URIMAT who met 2 indices (Sustainability Goals, Sustainability Initiatives). Finally, Pūrleve / Xela Innovations and Waterless each met only 1 index (Sustainability Initiatives). We ranked Pūrleve / Xela Innovations above Waterless because they have more robust sustainability initiatives that include low-power systems, reduced battery consumption, 100% recycled antibacterial sleeve materials, and near-zero waste.

*Note that these rankings can change based on any changes in their sustainability indices.

BEST WATERLESS URINALS
WE COULD FIND

The following urinals were selected from over 15 hours of researching everything available on the market as of March 2019. We chose these urinals and accessories based on current water-saving technology, a thorough assessment of the available reviews, price, durability, and features we felt would make them enjoyable to use. We felt #1 was a clear leader. Products that did not make this list were ones that were exorbitantly expensive and or required hazardous chemicals like aliphatic alcohol and surfactants to sanitize the urinals. Even though urinals like this didn’t make our list, they still better than traditional urinals because they are water conscious. The #4 choice on this list is a Waterless, Co. urinal. These waterless urinals are an environmentally conscious option, but the chemicals used to sterilize the toilet are toxic and not recommended (hence, why it’s our last choice). Other urinals exist also, but we didn’t consider them as good as the choices here, so we left them off.

NOTE: New technology is always being invented, check the company websites for their newest models. Even as this page becomes dated, the featured products below can be used as a good base-level starting point for your selection process. We wouldn’t recommend any product that doesn’t meet or surpass the quality and performance of the products listed here. This is how we intend to use this page as we build the Duplicable City Center and 7 sustainable village models. If better products are found when we start making our purchases, we’ll open source share here what they are and our personal experience using them. 

#1 :: ZEROFLUSH WATERLESS URINAL

The ZeroFlush waterless urinal by Purleve claims to save around 40,000 gallons of fresh water per urinal per year – that is around three swimming pools of water saved. ZeroFlush contains an easily replaced odor-barrier liquid made from 100% natural and biodegradable oils. It uses no water, descaling chemicals, detergents, strong cleaning chemicals or acid treatments like those used in manual or automatic flushing urinals. It uses a recyclable trap and a 100% natural and biodegradable sealant. The installation is also simple. There is no flushing mechanism, all that is required is a drainage outlet. ZeroFlush has an extra large, removable trap that averages 15,000 uses before it requires replacement. Unlike other waterless urinals whose expensive cartridges must be replaced every 5,000-7,000 flushes. This urinal outperforms other urinals 2 to 1 mainly because they cost much less to maintain and operate as well as save money. These urinals costs around $260.00/ea.

KEY FEATURES

• Odor-barrier liquid made from 100% natural and biodegradable oils
• 100% natural and biodegradable sealant
• Saves around 40,000 gallons of water per urinal per year
• No complex installation is required, just a drainage outlet
• Easy web access to all the product specs, installation, CAD drawings, etc.
• It is a reasonably priced urinal

PROS/CONS COMMENTS

• None yet…

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Click Here for the Company Website | Purchasing | Drain Insert

#2 :: URIMAT WATERLESS URINAL

This waterless urinal uses no water, no chemicals, and emits no odors. It uses a unique odor trap technology with an integrated cleaning system that the company says saves approximately 26,000 gallons of water a year per urinal. URIMAT waterless urinals are made of a high-tech polycarbonate bowl, carbon-neutral manufacturing, and is 100% recyclable. URIMAT also produces sustainable hand dryers and environmentally friendly cleaning products. The URIMAT Eco (shown at left) cost $599.99/ea.

KEY FEATURES

• Uses no water or chemicals and emits no odors
• Unique odor trap technology
• The urinal bowl is 100% recyclable

PROS/CONS COMMENTS

• None yet…

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Click Here for the Company Website | Purchasing on Home Depot

#3 :: SLOAN WES-1000 WATERLESS URINAL

This waterless urinal saves up to 40,000 gallons of water a year. It uses no water for the maximum LEED credits and provides minimal water and sewage costs. It has a patented, sealed locking cartridge that is engineered to last for an average of 7,000 uses. This touch free urinal creates a hygienic, odor-free option that eliminates cross contamination.

KEY FEATURES

• It saves up to 40,000 gallons of water each year
• It meets ADA requirements
• cUPC certified to meet or exceed ASME 112.19.19 standards
• Easy web access to all the product specs, installation, CAD drawings, etc.
• Provides a patented cartridge that is a replaceable liquid-sealed cartridge good for 6,000 to 7,000 uses

PROS/CONS COMMENTS

• 5 of 5 Stars: “It is great for our school. Less problems with children overflowing.”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Click Here for the Company Website | Purchasing on Amazon

#4 :: SANTA FE WATERLESS URINAL

This waterless urinal has the EcoTrap Unit that eliminates the need for serving and change out. There is no need to take apart the traps for cleaning or reassembling. There are no gaskets or O-Rings needed on the EcoTrap Inserts. The All Wall Drain No-Flush Urinal Models install like flushed urinals to the standard 2” (52mm) drain line via gasket and flange. This means there is no need for adaptors when installing this urinal.

KEY FEATURES

• Meets ADA requirements
• Is an ecologically conscious urinal option
• Complies With ANSI Z124.9, A117, CSA^® Others
• There is an EcoTrap Unit that makes maintenance easy on this urinal
• Easy web access to all the product specs, installation, CAD drawings, etc.

PROS/CONS COMMENTS

• The chemicals used to sterilize this urinal are toxic and not recommended (hence, why it’s our last choice).
• “Best.” Price was very good. This urinal is a very good replacement from a flush urinal. The replacement trap is less expensive than competitors, quality is good, and overall operational cost is good.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Click Here for the Company Website

BEST WATERLESS URINAL
ACCESSORIES WE COULD FIND

Our research also included identifying the best urinal accessories. We chose these accessories based on how safe the chemicals were for the environment, ease of use, and price. All four of the options below seem eco-friendly enough to recommend but we think #1 is a clear overall winner.

#1 :: XO2^® GEE WIZZ – AWESOME URINAL BLOCKS WITHOUT THE NASTIES

XO2^® Gee Wizz blocks are our #1 choice. They are grey water safe, breaking down into nutrients that are safe for the garden. They are also low in sodium, free of phosphates, and have a mild pH. They contain no corrosives or known allergens and no para-dichlorabenzene (a suspected carcinogen). It’s 3-way clean, sanitize and deodorize action provides a heavy duty cleaner to emulsify blockages and clean the pipes, a special proactive bacteria kills bad bacteria and germs, and a long-term jellybean deodorizer absorbs and neutralizes bad odors. X02 does all this while safeguarding the urinal against uric acid and scale build up. The safety sheet for this product can be dowloaded here. It can be used in residential or commercial urinals. The bucket contains 54 blocks and costs $123.20.

KEY FEATURES

• Individually wrapped in water soluble film. No need for any contact
• Environmentally conscious product
• Stops smells and odors instantly
• Prevents blockages

PROS/CONS COMMENTS

• “Each block is individually wrapped in a water soluble film (it will dissolve in water quickly.) No need to unwrap unless you really want to.”
• “Place 1 block in each single urinal or place a block every 50-60cm in multi-trough urinals. Place more blocks if necessary. Replace blocks when 80% used.”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Click Here for the Company Website to Purchase | Safety Sheet

#2 :: DELPHIS ECO BIO URINAL BLOCKS

This urinal block is suitable for all urinal types. It contains eco friendly bacteria to remove the cause of bad smells and blockages from urinal traps and pipework. They do not contain pDCB (a carcinogen) or any other dangerous chemicals. It is biodegradable, septic tank safe, and a product not tested on animals. Delphis Eco products are also packed in fully recyclable containers. Safety sheets can be found here.

KEY FEATURES

• Not tested on animals
• Phosphate free
• Eliminates smells and blockages
• Eco friendly product

PROS/CONS COMMENTS

• None yet…

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Click Here to Purchase | Safety Sheet

#3 :: ECO URINAL BLOCKS BLUO

According to their website, Eco Urinal Blocks^® Bluo™ is designed for use in waterless urinals or to convert existing flush-based urinals into waterless urinals by using their product and just shutting off the water to the flush. To accomplish this, they say their product uses “10x more biological bacterias.” They are non-pathogenic in nature and each block contains an additional blend aromatic fragrances and cleaners to freshen up the room and eliminate blockages and foul smells inside the trap line. The blocks also dissolve slowly, allowing them to last much longer than a typical urinal block. We could not find a safety sheet on this product but their FAQ is helpful.

KEY FEATURES

• Eliminates bad odor and smell at source completely
• Environmentally friendly derived product
• No flush solution – saves water
• Suitable for all types of urinals
• Easy to install and use

PROS/CONS COMMENTS

• None yet…

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Click Here to Purchase | Product FAQ

#4 :: NU-ECO ECO-FRIENDLY URINAL BLOCK

This urinal block is 100% natural and vegan. It uses a Bacillus Uric acid digesting bacteria enzyme blend in the product. It is a uniquely derived bacterial tablet that is used in urinals for a slow dissolving bio-enzymatic bowl cleaner, septic treatment and drain line treatment. It eliminates uric acid build up and has a 5 year shelf life. They can be set directly into the urinal or placed in a plastic rim cage. This is our #4 product because we could not find a safety sheet or much other information on it.

KEY FEATURES

• Environmentally friendly and vegan product
• Has a 5 year shelf life
• Removes odors instantly
• Urinal drain line maintenance

PROS/CONS COMMENTS

• None yet…

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Click Here to Purchase

PEE FUNNELS & MENSTRUAL CUPS

Our research also included urinals and that led to conversations about female versus male toilet use. This expanded to conversations about pee funnels and menstrual cups. Both our researcher and Pioneer Sara have used, enjoyed, and recommended them before we created this page. So we expanded our research to include all the options out there so we could promote and share those here too.

Note, Amazon links are paid links and, as an Amazon Associate, One Community earns from qualifying purchases.

#1 :: PSTYLE

This pee funnel has a very open design, which allows an individual to get the angle just right in a confined space. It’s long and short (in terms of height), made with hard plastic, but it’s narrow and a little shallower than the others, all of which we think makes it easier to use. We put this one as our top choice because it is affordable, easy to use, and our own experience with it has been 100% positive. 

KEY FEATURES

• Easy to use
• Can be used in confined spaces
• Plastic and easy to wash and store

PROS/CONS COMMENTS

• Over 1,700 reviews on Amazon and an average rating of 4.5 stars
• “Great for camping and road trips.” – Community Pioneer Sara
• “I’ve Tried ‘Em All- pStyle’s A Winner!”
• “Cheap and easy to use.”
• “Easier to clean than the Freshette.”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Purchase Direct | Purchase on Amazon

#2 :: FRESHETTE

This feminine accessory is a hard plastic funnel with a retractable tube. The tube makes it larger than some of the others but also can be helpful with directing the fluids and reducing splashing when in use. For these reasons, we chose to make this our #2 recommended choice. Comes complete with directions, carrying bag, and 6″ of retractable tubing.

KEY FEATURES

• Extension tube allows for a little more flow direction, helping to aim more precisely
• Plastic, making it easier to navigate and use
• Two-piece allowing it to be compact and travel-friendly

PROS/CONS COMMENTS

• “The hose collapses into the container, so compact to carry.”
• “The hose is flexible, so I found it easier to aim where I wanted the urine to go.”
• “It’s great when I’m out kayak and hiking.”
• “Sturdier and better than Go Girl.”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Purchase Direct | Purchase on Amazon

#3 :: GO GIRL

This pee funnel is convenient and compact but many reviews say it is harder to use than the two above. For this reason we made it our #3 suggestion. On the very positive side, it has a friendly looking design and it squishes down to the size of a golf ball. This is because it is flexible and made of moisture and germ resistant, 100% latex free, medical-grade silicone rather than rigid plastic like the two above. It is also developed, produced, and packaged right here in the USA (by a female-run company) proudly keeping jobs local!

KEY FEATURES

• Travel-friendly product
• Patented splash guard eliminates messing and spilling
• Alternative to using a public restroom

PROS/CONS COMMENTS

• “This is NOT very easy to use out in the “field.””
• “I am not sure how I’ve managed without one of these. This particular brand is by far my favorite because the material is such that it will contour to your body and form a better seal.”
• “I peed everywhere. That bush? Yep. Peed on it! That tree? Uh huh. Peed on it. … I can’t wait until winter so I can try to write my name in the snow.”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Purchase Direct | Purchase on Amazon

MENSTRUAL CUPS

Here are the best menstrual cups we’ve found. We’ve listed them in the order we would recommend them.

#1 :: DIVACUP

Like all menstrual cups, the DivaCup is a reusable, bell-shaped cup that collects rather than absorbs the menstrual flow. It is perfect for all activities (on air, land, or sea), it is easy to care for and use, can be used for up to 12 hours (including overnight) without leaks or worries, and makes the period experience much better. This is also the cup used by both our researcher and Pioneer Sara. It is our #1 recommendation because of the materials’ quality and lack of colors and dyes.

KEY FEATURES

• 15-year industry leader
• No added chemicals, plastics, colors or dyes
• Made of 100% healthcare grade silicone
• Great for active lifestyles: swimming, running, yoga, etc.
• The DivaCup can be worn for up to 12 hours without leaks or worries

PROS/CONS COMMENTS

• “The only feminine product I ALWAYS recommend!”
• “Wish I had found out about menstrual cups sooner.”
• “Inserting/removing – not so bad!!!”
• “It’s so great to longer wear pads at night or worry how long a tampon has been in!” – Community Pioneer Sara

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Purchase Direct | Purchase on Amazon

#2 :: LENA MENSTRUAL CUP

Here is what Lena has to say about their products: “Lena is a reusable menstrual cup that collects your monthly blood flow. Inserted like a tampon, Lena Cup offers a complete protection and an odorless and sensation-free period. Join thousands of first-time menstruation cup users who say they will never go back to using pads and tampons.” We made this our #2 recommendation because of their sustainable packaging.

KEY FEATURES

• 100% US medical silicone & dyes
• 100% post consumer packaging
• Registered with the FDA
• #1 best beginner cup, as recommended by Cosmopolitan magazine

PROS/CONS COMMENTS

• “A very very good option for delicate flowers with heavy flow”
• “When it works, it’s MAGICAL.”
• “LENA’s great, what I expected.”
• “No leaks and surprisingly comfortable!”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Purchase Direct | Purchase on Amazon

#3 :: LUNETTE REUSABLE MENSTRUAL CUP

Here is what Lunette has to say about their products: “At Lunette HQ, we put a lot of energy into knowing the magical mysteries of a menstruating person’s body and applying this knowledge to our products. Team Lunette is doing a lot more than making and selling the best menstrual cups and products on the market — we aim to educate and inform the wonderful world of menstruation.”

KEY FEATURES

• They are soft and pliable making them easy to put in
• They are an environmentally conscious option versus the tampon
• It is made with FDA approved silicone

PROS/CONS COMMENTS

• “Best one…”
• “I hardly notice my period anymore.”
• “No more tampons! :)”
• “If I could give it 10 starts I would!”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Purchase Direct | Purchase on Amazon

RESOURCES

Here are any other resources we’ve found (or that have been shared with us) and we think may be helpful:

• One Community Resource: Most Sustainable Toilets
• One Community Resource: Most Sustainable Faucets
• One Community Resource: Best Water-saving Shower Heads
• Article: “How Much Water Do Waterless Urinals Really Save”
• Article: “Still Wondering About Waterless Urinals. Read This”
• Article: “Waterless Urinals Benefits and Pitfalls”
• Article: “10 Stand-up Facts About Waterless Urinals”
• Article: “How Do Waterless Urinals Work?”
• Article: “How to Clean and Maintain Waterless Urinals”
• HumanureHandbook.com – Free book and great resource of resources
• Suggest an addition to this section by clicking here

SUMMARY

One Community has invested over 15 hours of research just on waterless urinals and related accessories. Our goal is to open source share our group’s experience with all the ones we use as part of the development of the Earthbag Village and Duplicable City Center. We will evolve this page with those details and use what we learn to help us with our purchasing decisions as we build each of the 7 sustainable village models.

FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS

Q: Where will you be posting your continued research?

We’ll create individual pages with testimonials and YouTube links with more details. We will then link to all of those pages from this page.

Q: Was One Community paid or incentivized in any way to choose the products we chose?

No, the research to identify and make the selections we made was done by a volunteer researcher without incentives or input from One Community or any company.