A privileged planetary minority

Ever since the year 2013, every 19^th of November the World Sanitation Day (or World Toilet Day) is celebrated.

The aim is to draw attention about the importance of sustainable access to drinking water and basic sanitation services.

To comprehend us, nowadays (and surely more than one is going to be surprised):

More than a half of the Planet’s population (about 5000 million people) don’t have in their homes (or wherever they live) a system that removes feces safely.

And, around 2000 million people consume non-potable water.

In other words: those of us who obtain water from a tap whenever we want and those of us who “pull the chain” because we have an optimal sanitation system are a privileged planetary minority.

Us, Privileged?

Well, yes, because the toilets save lives by preventing deadly diseases from spreading through feces.

Therefore, as we are privileged, we should keep in mind the immense luxury that is enjoying this wonder, and, to the best of our ability, be very aware that “running water” is a treasure we must take care of.

How can we contribute?

Firstly, let’s help to proselytize. That is, we must remind our friends and acquaintances that the toilet is not a garbage can.

Let’s repeat as a mantra:

Into the toilet I shall NEVER throw…

• Baby wipes
• Diapers
• Ear sticks
• Tobacco butts
• Cooking oils
• Cleansing discs
• Food leftovers
• Medicines
• Hygienic wet wipes
• Disposable contact lenses

Yes, believe it, there are still people who throw these kinds of items into the toilet out of sheer ignorance or hiding behind plain justifications like… “for once, nothing will happen”.

And it is actually true, isn’t it? For once nothing happens (or little happens), but the fact is that in the end, it is not only once. For this reason, in cities such as Barcelona, thanks to the sewage plants, about 1600 tons of this type of waste are collected annually. To this amount, we must add all the micro substances that cannot be collected and, consequently, these substances reach the sea.

From home, what can we do?

Easy: let’s start by placing a tiny bucket in the bathroom and get on putting everything that could end up in the toilet (and therefore the sea).

We will be surprised: in a few days it will be full of waste (which before, one by one and without realizing it, we would have thrown where we should not).

And let’s do “propaganda”: with no shame, tell your friends, “enlighten them”, be annoying because, as we already know: if we play as a team, we win the game.