Portable Toilets and Wash Stations

Green purchasing guidance for portable toilets and wash stations, including:
  • Portable toilets
    • Transportation
    • Servicing/pumping
    • Unit washing/cleaning
  • Toilet paper
  • Deodorizers
  • Portable hand washing stations
    • Hand soap and paper towels

Required specifications

Purchasers must include these specifications, unless not possible:

  • RCW 43.19A: Recycled Product Procurement set a goal of substantially increasing the State’s purchases of recycled-content products, directs the State to set recycled-content standards…DES’ Recycled Content Purchasing Preference Policy (DES-255-00) states, “In establishing environmental requirements and preferences for products that contain recycled materials, agencies shall reference the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (EPA CPGs) as the minimum standards for the state of Washington.”
    Accordingly, all portable toilets and wash stations must be equipped with janitorial paper products (e.g., toilet tissue and paper towels) that contain that meet or exceed the US EPA’s Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPGs) for Janitorial Paper Products. At a minimum, toilet tissue products must contain at least 20% post-consumer recycled content (PCRC) and paper towels must contain at least 40% PCRC. Vendors offering portable toilets and/or wash stations that come equipped with janitorial paper products with a higher percentage of recycled content than the applicable US EPA CPG for this category are eligible for a Bid Preference of at least 10%. (At least one Seattle-based portable toilet provider claims to use recycled toilet paper.
  • EO 20-01: State Efficiency and Environmental Performance (SEEP) states that “reducing…the use of dangerous toxics in the products state agencies purchase will all have a direct positive effect on human health, particularly for vulnerable children.” It further states, “When making purchasing, construction, leasing, and other decisions that affect state government’s emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) or other toxic substances, agencies shall explicitly consider the benefits and costs (including the social costs of carbon) of available options to avoid those emissions. Where cost-effective and workable solutions are available that will reduce or eliminate emissions, decision makers shall select the lower-emissions options.”
    DES could require or give preference to portable hand washing stations to include hand soaps that have earned one of the following third-party certifications: Green Seal, Safer Choice or UL ECOLOGO. In addition, vendors of portable toilets and hand washing stations can be required or given preference if they commit to cleaning their equipment using low-toxicity cleaning products that are certified by Green Seal, Safer Choice or UL ECOLOGO.
  • All hand sanitizers must contain at least 60% ethyl alcohol, which is consistent with the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendation for use against the COVID-19 virus.
  • Americans Disabilities Act (ADA), a 1990 law that requires some porta-potties to be accessible to people with disabilities, including people who use wheelchairs. Portable toilets must be at least 62” wide in order and have handrails to be ADA compliant. WA DES could require portable toilets on State contracts to be ADA compliant even though it is not required by law, except for 5% at certain events, etc. For more information about ADA requirements for portable toilets.
  • According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Water Act, enacted in 1972, establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and establishing water quality standards. Vendors that are awarded service agreements to rent or lease portable restrooms may need to demonstrate that they have a permit to properly discharge the contents of their equipment.

Preferred specifications

Purchasers should include these specifications, unless not possible:

  • RCW 43.19A: Recycled Product Procurement set a goal of substantially increasing the State’s purchases of recycled-content products, directs the State to… specify, give priority to and/or offer price preferences for products that contain recycled materials. This policy also directs State agencies to offer a purchasing preference of at least 10% to Bidders whose products have a recycled-content percentage that exceeds the EPA CPG minimum.
  • Avoidance of Greenhouse Gas and Toxic Emissions: EO 20-01: State Efficiency and Environmental Performance (SEEP) states, “When making purchasing, construction, leasing, and other decisions that affect state government’s emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) or other toxic substances, agencies shall explicitly consider the benefits and costs (including the social costs of carbon) of available options to avoid those emissions. Where cost-effective and workable solutions are available that will reduce or eliminate emissions, decision makers shall select the lower-emissions options.”
    Accordingly, vendors that use electric or other low-emissions vehicles to deliver their portable restroom and/or hand washing systems can be offered best value preference points in the bid evaluation process.
    In addition, the purchaser may offer vendors a price preference for equipment with additional environmental attributes such as solar-powered lighting equipment, additional containment devices, recycled content in the equipment, etc.
  • Additional desirable environmental and health certifications of hand sanitizers include:
    • UL ECOLOGO, Green Seal, USDA Biobased, or Cradle to Cradle (Silver or higher)
    • No fragrances or dyes.

Things to avoid

Purchasers should avoid these specifications whenever possible:

  • EO 04-01: Persistent Toxic Chemicals directs the State to make available for purchase by State agencies equipment, supplies, and other products that do not contain persistent and bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) chemicals unless there is no feasible alternative.
    Accordingly, portable toilets may not include deodorizers that contain para-dichlorobenzene, a PBT chemical. It is desirable for vendors of portable toilets to include deodorizers that are certified by Safer Choice, Green Seal or UL ECOLOGO, or to avoid the use of deodorizers altogether. In addition, deodorizers may not include materials that are not biodegradable such as plastic or rubber since these could clog pumping equipment and sewage treatment systems.
  • EO 20-01: State Efficiency and Environmental Performance (SEEP) states that “reducing…the use of dangerous toxics in the products state agencies purchase will all have a direct positive effect on human health, particularly for vulnerable children.” It further states, “When making purchasing, construction, leasing, and other decisions that affect state government’s emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) or other toxic substances, agencies shall explicitly consider the benefits and costs (including the social costs of carbon) of available options to avoid those emissions. Where cost-effective and workable solutions are available that will reduce or eliminate emissions, decision makers shall select the lower-emissions options.” Accordingly, all portable hand washing stations and toilets that include hand soap may not offer hand soaps with antibacterial ingredients such as Triclosan.

Laws, rules, and executive orders

These laws, rules, and executive orders must be included in the contract language:

Find these products on statewide contracts

Find products that meet Washington’s green purchasing specifications:

End of life

Surplus goods that still can be used

  • Use surplus disposal to get rid of items you no longer need. Keep materials out of landfills and make funds for your agency.

Recycling and disposal

Hazardous waste disposal guidelines and options:

Contact us

Leatta Dahlhoff

Environmental Technical Analyst

Phone 360-407-8108

Email leatta.dahlhoff@des.wa.gov