History of the portable toilet - Tardis Hire
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The portable toilet industry began in the 1940’s in the ship building yards of Long Beach, California.  At this time, labourers employed on the ships had to go to the dock each time they had to use a toilet.

A savvy ship industrialist identifying the great cost for people to go so far to use the toilets posed a question to the company that was emptying the holding tanks of the dock toilets, would it be possible to make a toilet which could be temporarily put on the ship closer to the workers? Soon after a wood cabana was developed with a small holding tank which became the first portable toilet. This unique idea soon spread to the construction industry and to organizers of large crowd events.

The first portable toilets consisted of wood and metal, they were heavy to transport, absorbed odours and were not very hygienic. In the early 1970’s, portable toilets made of fiberglass were introduced. However fiberglass toilets required more maintenance due to the brittle nature of the material and fiberglass meant that the portable toilets still absorbed odours. In the mid-1970’s, polyethylene portable toilets were introduced.

Polyethylene made portable toilets lightweight and more durable.  It also made the toilets easier to clean, since it is a non-porous and non-absorbing material. It is still the most common material for portable toilets today.

Can you imagine a world without portable toilets? We can’t!

Tardis Environmental have been providing portable toilet hire over the past decade, we understand the demands of our customers and strive to meet them,