April 17, 2014

LIXIL Corporation, in collaboration with American Standard Brands, has supplied UNICEF Philippines with 10,000 SaTo hygienic toilet pans to support reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan.

SaTo is a sanitary toilet pan designed by American Standard Brands for use in Bangladesh. It works without sewer infrastructure and uses simple mechanical and water seals to close off pit latrines from the open air, reducing the transmission of disease. LIXIL and American Standard collaborated to donate these pans to the Philippines, where UNICEF estimates that as many as 4 million children may be affected by the disaster. UNICEF intends to employ the toilet pans as an interim solution until the sewage system in the area can be rebuilt.

“We are delighted UNICEF will be using the toilet pans to effectively improve sanitation in the disaster-stricken area,” said Harumi Matsumura, executive officer and senior managing director, public relations, CSR and environmental for Lixil. “Improving world sanitation is a key corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative for LIXIL.”

In addition, LIXIL is implementing the “ISIS 2018” Project, as part of a wider program focused on improved sanitation with UNICEF. Victoria Bolam, global brand and CSR director for Lixil, explained that the Improved Sanitation In Schools 2018 (ISIS 2018) program will provide improved sanitation facilities and education to 2,018,000 school children worldwide by the end of 2018. A minimum of 44,000 children will benefit from sanitation education and basic sanitation kits in the Philippines in 2014, and 16,000 school children in rural schools in China will receive new toilet facilities in July 2014.