Having finally taken environmental issues on board now that they’ve figured out that there’s a huge amount of the proverbial value-added to be had, banks are busily touting their green credentials. Nowadays, chief executives talk about their carbon footprint almost as much as their efforts to streamline their businesses into non-siloed, seamlessly integrated enterprises.
Bank of America, however, is one up on the competition when it comes to the environment. When Bank of America Tower, its greener-than-green New York headquarters, opens in 2009, prospective employees on the grand tour will see that BoA’s innovative spirit reaches all the way into the washrooms.
Waterless urinals are among the staggering array of environment-friendly bells and whistles showcased in the new headquarters. Euromoney’s ever-curious editorial team wondered exactly how this cutting-edge technology works and exactly how waterless these urinals are.
Armitage Shanks’s website had all the answers. As most Euromoney readers will know, urine is 96% water. It flows down the surface of the urinal and if the waterless urinal in question is the Armitage Shanks Aridian model, into the unique Sealtrap cartridge: “The cartridge is filled with a special liquid called Allseal, which is not only perfumed, but prevents foul air from rising up from the drain and into the washroom. It does this by floating on the surface inside the cartridge and trapping any particles at the cartridge base.”
Apparently the urinal is cleaned easily (without water) and it’s a snap to replace the cartridges. Expect these new-fangled urinals to be making an appearance in a loo near you.
