A UNIQUE Swiss innovation that has already had a considerable ecological influence was a finalist in The Big 5 Gaia awards which was held prior to the construction show last month.

Known as Urimat, the patented waterless urinal from Urimat Deutschland boasts a number of world “firsts” and scores on account of its environment-friendliness and innovative construction.
The product also won the second place as most innovative product in the Construmat show, Spain’s largest environmental exhibition, and also  the ‘Most Innovative Environmental Sustainable Design (ESD) Product’, awarded at the Designbuild Australasia Exhibition in Sydney, Australia, both held last year.
Urimat, according to a company spokesperson, offers the world’s only water and chemical-free urinal with an integrated communication platform.
“The waterless urinal can save up to 100,000 litres of valuable drinking water per year. With around 10,000 Urimat systems in operation worldwide, 285 litres of drinking water are being saved every second!” he exclaims.
The heart of the system is an odour seal trap. This is a cartridge inside the Urimat with a hydrostatic float that enables the urinal to evacuate the urine without any water, explains managing director Marcel Näpflin.
But doesn’t a waterless urinal smell? “That’s of course the first question we get from most people. In fact, if you look at the creation of smell it’s always based on bacteria, so where there is no water [and bacteria] there is no smell.”
“It’s a change of mindset. In our minds, water equals cleanliness but in the urinal it’s exactly the opposite,” he adds.
Made from environment-friendly materials and with no artificial additives such as sealing liquids or aggressive chemical cleaning agents required in order to keep them clean and hygienic, the urinals are the perfect eco-friendly solution, according to the spokesman.
“The urinals use the company’s world-patented odour locking trap (siphon), which has a hydrostatic float and does not need any water, electricity, oils or chemicals. It channels the urine through floating chambers directly into the canalisation and with a double odour lock, the siphon makes sure that no smell can develop,” he explains. “At the same time, the special bowl design possesses no hidden rims and surfaces upon which bacteria and deposits can accumulate, while its special patented shape ensures no splash back.”
Urimat, according to the company, is also the world’s only urinal made from high-tech polycarbonate (Makrolon by Bayer), produced through the injection-moulded process, which uses much less energy than that required to produce conventional ceramic bowls.
The spokesperson remarks: “Makrolon, a high-tech plastic made in a complex injection-moulded process — the material used to make helmets for motorcyclists — is the most resistant material of its kind, and is resistant to impact, weathering, and withstands high and low temperatures. It is also 100 per cent recyclable.”
To clean the bowls, Urimat offers the specially developed MB-active cleaner. The ph-neutral cleaner, which works on a micro-biological level, powerfully eliminates unpleasant odours resulting from the decomposition of organic matter. It removes lime-scale and soap residue whilst also preventing soiling from recurring.
"The product is particularly well-suited for regular cleaning and for the elimination of odours in frequently-used sanitary facilities,” says the spokesman. “The micro-organisms penetrate deep into the chinks and pores of the surface and destroy the odour-creating organic matter deposited there.
“Biofilm building up in pipes, siphons and under-floor drains is also eradicated.” “Urimat urinals are equipped with a sensor-controlled integrated backlit advertising display. With this display, the urinals can be used for the placement of environmental messages to educate the user or to rent it out to advertising partners to generate income,” he adds.
Installing the equipment is much easier than conventional urinals because Urimat weighs only about 4 kg so there is no need for frames to support it. And it can stand the abuse of vandals.
Näpflin says that when the company started producing such urinals about 10 years ago, it was not easy to convince people that the idea would work.
Growing concerns over water led people to take a closer look at the device and hence it has now won a string of awards around the world for its contribution to the environment.
“We know systems in the market which have the same effect – saving water – but they use chemicals or liquids. Urimat is a 100 per cent ecological solution,” he says.
Urimat now employs about 50 people – 15 in Switzerland and 35 in Germany. It has about 40,000 customers in more than 20 countries.