Peru
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Our Sustainability Project in the Second Driest Capital in the World
Many people take a toilet for granted, but there are places where drains echo with their abscence. In Peru Separett is working with Sanima, to install waterless toilets where the need is high.
"Toilet visits are intimate, which is why we are bad at talking about the widespread sanitation challenge in the world" says CEO Arturo Llaxacondor.
A slightly pixelated Arturo appears on the screen. It’s 12 o’clock in the afternoon in Peru and work is going on in full swing despite the ongoing pandemic.
"We have adapted to Covid and are happy that the work can continue. It proves that our service, especially in these circumstances, is crucial for those without toilets." Peru is one of the countries most severely restricted during the pandemic, and it was only in September that Sanima reopened its customer service and sales program. Key elements for Sanima, which is not a charity. "We try to solve environmental challenges from a market perspective. We offer a subscription- based service for which we charge, but the price is only 2.5% of the user’s income."
Needed standardized solutions
Sanima’s income is not enough to cover expenses, which means external funding and international collaborations are essential. For example, many of the toilets come from Separett, a collaboration that began back in 2014. "We needed a partner who could offer standardized solutions and came into contact with Separett’s CEO. He was very interested in us, partly because he could help people in need, but also because he wanted to learn more about South America."
The CEO and the rest of Separett have learned enough. Since its establishment, Sanima has reached over 3.000 users, removed over 300 tons of waste and won over 10 awards. "The target for 2021 is to reach over 2.000 households. And that’s where our partnership with Separett is crucial, as they offer cost-effective toilet solutions that have everything we need to make a difference. The settlements where we are working now are part of the sanitation challenge in Peru; another big challenge will be the urban areas."
Waterless toilets are the future
The challenges don’t scare Arturo, and they’re likely to increase. "Because the current sewerage solutions with water toilets are doomed" Arturo says. "Those solutions have expiration dates, because they require water which is already a scarce resource. It is becoming clear that with everything that is happening around climate change, we need a solution without water, which is so important for human life, to treat waste. I think 100 years from now people will look back at this time and wonder: What were they doing?"
Facts about Sanima
Sanima (formerly X-Runner) was founded in 2012 by Isabel Medem and Jessica Altenberg. The organization installs waterless toilets, and collects waste from users and settlements. Today they operate outside Lima, Peru.
Image 1: Saleswoman Rosa Barrios follows the map in search of potential customers.
Image 2: Customer Gloria Canchaya has just had her new toilet installed by Sanima. She is one of 3.000 customers who have been provided by Sanima.
Image 3: A Sanima-worker carries heavy buckets of sawdust and bags to be used in a waterless toilet. The material lasts for a week.
Read more about our partnership on Sanima's website