British Toilet Association: Archived News from the British Toilet Association 

BTA 2010 Innovation Award results

The BTA Innovation Awards were re-introduced for 2010 to recognise innovation in three key areas of ‘away from home’ toilet provision: New Products, New Services and Efficiency Improvements. A panel comprising members of the BTA Management Committee judged each nomination and decided the winners for each award.

The awards were presented to the winners by renowned inventor Trevor Baylis during the BTA Annual Conference on Wednesday 15th September at the Stratford Hotel Stratford on Avon.

The Activeion ionator EXP™ was awarded the New Product Award. The ionator is a handheld cleaning tool that looks much like a normal trigger-spray bottle but actually contains the latest ionising electronics. It converts tap water from any tap into a powerful, effective cleaner and germ killer without additives of any form. This means that washrooms and toilets in Britain can be cleaned without chemicals but killing bacteria, making them better and healthier places.

The New Service Award was presented to Swale Borough Council who’s Loo of the Year Award five star winning Grove’ public toilet, on the seafront in Leysdown-on sea on the Isle of Sheppey, provides a useful information service to toilet visitors and tourists on an Information Board and personally by their two friendly toilet attendants. Information includes places to visit whilst on holiday, times the bus runs into the local town, directions and distance from the train station and information about local events.

Andy Loos won the Efficiency Improvements Award for their Poly Vac Eco friendly portable toilet which does not use any chemicals and only requires 0.5 litres of water per flush. It also incorporates a vacuum toilet system, low access height, internal lighting and a standard design WC which provides more space for users within the toilet.

Each award winner received a trophy produced specifically for the BTA Innovation Awards
and a framed BTA 2010 Innovation Award certificate.

In addition to the UK, entries were received from USA, Germany and Spain, including excellent nominations from Airdri for hand dryers, the Hurricone Cordless Floor Dryer, the HYCO D3 Micro - the world’s first device for automatically disinfecting door handles, Kimberley Clarke Professional Electronic soap towel dispenser and Slimfold hand towel dispenser, Lotus Professional En Motion Impulse paper towel dispenser, en Motion Soap and Sanitizer Dispenser and Nexturn Hand Towel System, PHS SMARTdri premium hand dryer, Premier Hygienic Premier L850 combined automatic public toilet and street urinal and the Mediclinics Machflow and Dualflow hand dryers.

"Our Annual Conference is a once a year opportunity for providers of publicly accessible toilets to network with product and service suppliers, as well as user group representatives, to discuss best practice and hear about fresh ideas which are already working", says Mike Bone, Director of BTA. "It also provides an ideal opportunity to recognise the cutting edge of washroom product development and service provision through the presentation of the BTA's annual Innovation Awards. The BTA 2011 Innovation Awards will be launched in the first quarter of 2011.

21 September 2010