Private Sector Begins to Fill Need for Public Restrooms

According to the Public Toilet Index, the U.S. has just eight public toilets per 100,000 people, which ties it with four other countries for 30th in the world ranking. Americans have tapped private businesses to fill the void.

In turn, the startup Throne Labs offers standalone public restrooms equipped with “smart” toilets that use tech to monitor and maintain the facilities. Users who don’t want to visit a coffee shop, library, or museum can gain entry to a Throne Labs location through an app, Morning Brew reported. However, if people leave the bathroom worse than they found it, their rating drops. If their rating falls too low, they could be banned. It’s like Uber for toilets.

Urban planners in Los Angeles told the Wall Street Journal that contracting with Throne Labs for 30 locations this year at a total cost of US$2.7 million would cost about the same for the city to install regular bathrooms. Moreover, with the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics coming to Los Angeles, the city is planning to add 44 more bathrooms from Throne Labs, in addition to the existing 20 that have been installed citywide.

But Throne Labs is not the only company being tapped to fill the public restroom void. American Restroom Association Co-founder Steven Soifer cited Portland Loo to Bloomberg as an example of public toilets done right. Portland Loo has expanded from its home state of Oregon and has completed more than 250 installations.