Who we are
Ecosan Cape – home of the Ecosan waterless toilet.
In the first place, we are a social enterprise that is passionate about sustainable development. Equally important to our core is conservation, recycling, resource protection, job creation and community upliftment.
We specialise in bringing dignified, container-based sanitation to the people. Our focus is on products, resources and services that promote the conservation of water and energy. Furthermore, our focus is on sustainable economic growth and the creation of employment. We as a result envision a circular/closed loop sanitation economy.
By the same token, we want to improve livelihoods and empower communities, while providing an essential service that protects the environment.
Our most recognised driver for change is the Ecosan waterless toilet.
What we do
Ecosan Cape addresses South Africa’s growing water crisis.
It consequently also highlights the urgency to implement sustainable alternatives. The Ecosan Waterless Toilet challenges our current sanitation system which is totally reliant on the abundant supply of water.
Furthermore, we need to make innovative progress in the way that we safely manage our waste.
The situation across Africa and the rest of the developing world is dire. According to the WHO and UNICEF, 4.5 billion people lack safely managed sanitation, 2.4 billion of those people worldwide being without any sanitation facilities at all.
Why ?
Humanity is in critical need of a paradigm shift.
Now, more than ever! Over-population, resource consumption, threatened ecosystems, biodiversity imbalances and pollution are some of humanity’s fundamental problems. We need to solve these on a global scale.
Ecosan Cape is a “think global, act local” enterprise. For this reason, we strive to be a catalyst for that shift in the collective consciousness towards sustainable sanitation solutions. With the Ecosan waterless toilet we hope to create an understanding of closed loop sanitation systems.
“The water availability will continue to be a challenge into the future and application of the latest Research, Innovation and Development in water less/alternative water and sanitation systems should be implemented urgently. The latest developments in ‘water-less’ water and sanitation solutions should be implemented urgently.”
Pg. 23 – National Water and Sanitation Master Plan Interim Report Draft 2.4 (13 November 2017)
Site Visits
Whether installing multiple or single units, as a retro-fit or as part of a new build; we offer site inspections and consultations. Advising our customers which include architects, municipal managers, engineers, building contractors, and individuals. Helping them to find the best solutions.
Supply and Delivery
Our services include supply and delivery of the Ecosan Waterless Toilet systems throughout the Western and Eastern Cape.
We also supply directly from our depots in Cape Town and East London.
Installation Services
Installation requirements for the Ecosan Waterless Toilet System are different for each project. Varying due to factors such as terrain, existing structures and specific customer needs. We offer installation services by experienced teams on request.
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HAPPY CUSTOMERS
Reviews
“18 May 2018
To Whom It May Concern
This serves to confirm that Ithuba WCCC installed 4 Ecosan Toilets on our premises in 2014. These served us well until the number of learners increased, we then extended our toilet blocks.
Over the years, we have continued to fulfill the need on site. We currently have 16 toilets (10 for girls and 6 for boys, including 4 urinals) which serves 240 learners! The next step is to add to an overflow tank to deal with the surplus, but overall, we are delighted with these environmentally friendly units. The fact that no water is used suits our needs very well, as the school is situated in a rural area where water remains a challenge.
The system functions very well and is generally odour free, if everything is in working order. The dry matter is removed when necessary and is placed in our organic composting area where it sits for more than six months before being used in our vegetable gardens. We have generated some very good compost over the years!
I can recommend these toilets for use in private or public places.
Yours sincerely
Jackie DU Toit ( Director of WCCC)”
“To whom it may Concern,
We as a NPO built and run two schools, one in Johannesburg and one in Eastern Cape, both have no access to sewage systems and constant water supply is also difficult. We tried different toilet concepts, from pit toilet, bucket system and flush toilets with a three stage septic tank. None of it worked properly given the intense usage of the school environment.
After some research we found the Ecosan system and installed the first four units 2009 for testing. the toilets work perfect, even under the humid conditions of the coast, there is hardly any smell.
The cleaning staff need to get some training in cleaning them without using too much water and the kids need to be trained to open and close the lid while using them and the system works!
Also important is to ensure that not too many persons use one toilet to make it work properly, so we installed another 18 units over the past years and didn’t have any problems so far.
As reference please visit:
Ithuba.org
buildcollective.net
If you have further questions don’t hesitate to contact me”
“Greetings in 2017!
After approximately 9 months I think it’s high time I gave some feedback on the systems you sold us;
BRILLIANT!
We love them. To remind you, I bought 3 last year around May. Two of them were installed at a community sports park, and the other at my home. You initially had some reservations about the application at the park – concerns of overloading, smells etc. You kindly shared the information from your French associates for separating urine from feces, which I did on the ladies’ toilet at the park.
These units have been “abused” in the sense that they are used imperfectly by kids and visitors (not stomped after every use, lid not always opened- and closed on every use, ash/sawdust not always added after use etc.), and yet after 9 months of this they are still working perfectly. Odour has never been a problem, and the material is completely desiccated by the time it reaches the catch-bag. No blockages or breakages. We get a lot of positive comments about these systems from visitors – in a country where most people, including the very affluent, still have a ‘cattle post’ or a rural village homestead that relies on a long-drop, or a pit latrine in the corner of their yard in town, the advantages of your system are glaringly obvious to almost everyone confronted with it. Coupled with the extreme water shortages we experienced over the past 3 years (water cuts similar to the electrical load shedding model were a fact of life for everyone), these factors mean that the Botswana market is crying out for your product.
Finally, I’ve been using the unit at home and, between you and me, I feel guilty “go’ing” anywhere else; I feel like I’m depriving my homestead of valuable compost material! My fiancee and I love it. Thank you to all involved in developing and spreading the EcoSan toilet system.
Regards
Guy”
Good day,
I am the Operations Manager for the Gamtoos River Mouth Resort, a development of 450 houses on the banks of the Gamtoos River near Jeffrey’s Bay in the Eastern Cape.
Our development is situated in an ecologically sensitive, pristine piece of paradise, therefore our decision to install an environment friendly dry toilet system for our slip way, picnic and fishing sites next to the Gamtoos River with hundreds of visitors every year.
We chose to install the Ecosan Waterless toilet system about 15 years ago and we are to this day very happy with our choice, evident by the fact that we have just purchased another Ecosan toilet for a new picnic spot on the banks of the Gamtoos River. So now we have three toilets servicing all the visitors and residents of the development of 450 erven within our development, about 600 visitors every year.
The toilets are clean and hygienic, tough and durable and best of all they do not smell.
Our residents of the development are very happy with using them.
They are extremely low-maintenance systems, easy to use and easy to clean.
The waste is generally quite dry and we empty the solid catchment bag and use the dry solids as a soil conditioner, dig it into the ground, about once per year or as the needs arise.
I would recommend the Ecosan toilet to anyone looking to save water and minimize their impact on the environment and to have a clean healthy environment friendly system.
Best regards
Hannes Visagie”
