User:JustinePorto/Public toilets in the Marshall Islands

Public toilets in the Marshall Islands were originally largely constructed by the US military and maintained by locals. Open defecation is practiced in the Marshall Islands but new toilet technology has resulted in more people gaining access to toilets and reducing that practices.

Public toilets and sanitation
National Environmental Protection Authority (RMIEPA), created in 1984, oversaw the management of public toilets. Open defecation was practiced in the 1980s and 1990s on beaches and shorelines. Through the RMIEPA Toilet Facilities and Sewage Disposal Regulations, the Division of Environmental Health and Sanitation was working in the 1990s on improving solid waste disposal. Part of this involved constructing and training others in the usage of water-seal toilets. Sewage systems were improved in Majuro, Ebeye and Gugeegue in the 1990s. As a result, more people gained access to saltwater toilet flushing systems in public places. Three EcoSan composting toilets were installed in Laura in the 2010s as a way of demonstration of how to reduce water usage volume at the household level.

Public toilets have been constructed by the United States military during the 1980s. These toilets are maintained by family caretakers, and are often locked when no one is around to monitor them.

Regional and global situation impacting public toilets in the Marshall Islands
Foreigners visiting the South Pacific in the 1990s were advised to bring their own white toilet paper, and tampons or sanitary napkins as they were not commonly found in the region. Septic systems and any sewage systems were not strong enough in the 1990s for tampons to be thrown into them.