1. The History and Evolution of Toilets

To date, the oldest known toilet in the world, estimated to be 5,000 years old, was discovered on the Orkney Islands, off the northern coast of Scotland. Its structure was quite simple, yet it shared fundamental similarities with modern toilets. It consisted of a clay toilet bowl with water pipes placed underneath.

Each culture has interpreted and designed toilets in its own unique way. The ancient Egyptians referred to the toilet as the House of the Morning, while the ancient Jews called it the House of Honor.

The ancient Romans had an extensive and sophisticated waste management system. Archaeological evidence shows that workers responsible for cleaning had to use boats to navigate the underground tunnels filled with waste from toilets installed below ground. These tunnels could reach up to 5 meters in diameter.

When mentioning France, people often think of love, romance, and perfume. However, during the Middle Ages, French nobles and aristocrats often relieved themselves on balconies, staircases of castles, or even in parks. When the stench became unbearable, they would simply move to another castle. Furthermore, bathing was severely limited during this time, as it was believed to weaken one’s health.

However, as society evolved, toilets became an essential part of buildings and increasingly received more attention in terms of design and construction. Today, in countries like China and Singapore, some toilets are rated 5 stars thanks to their impressive facilities and user experience.

2. Things Most People Don’t Know About Toilets

Toilets are considered an essential functional space in any building. Though often seen as a supplementary area, they are just as important as other rooms in forming a complete structure.

This space serves basic human needs such as personal hygiene and waste elimination. According to estimates, an average person uses the toilet about 6–8 times per day, or roughly 2,500 times per year. Over a lifetime, we spend about 3 to 5 years just using the toilet. These numbers, along with real-life experiences, make it undeniable that toilets play a crucial role. In fact, when examined further, toilets contribute surprisingly to human life, society, the economy, and the environment.

3. Ensuring Sanitation and Environmental Protection

Most people assume that toilets are dirty. While not entirely wrong, many greatly misunderstand the extent. Studies show that the number of bacteria in a toilet is only about 1/400th of those found on an average office desk. Moreover, toilets are an effective waste management solution that helps ensure hygiene and safety.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in India – where cultural habits often discourage toilet use – an estimated 1.1 million liters of raw waste are discharged directly into the Ganges River every minute, severely polluting the environment. In two African countries, Guinea and Sierra Leone, toilets are also rarely used. In 2012, a major rainstorm caused widespread waste overflow and led to a severe cholera outbreak, infecting 25,000 people and claiming 392 lives.

4. Saving Energy

Research shows that toilet wastewater contains biochemical energy ten times greater than the amount of energy needed to treat it. This discovery has opened up new directions for scientists and engineers to develop optimal wastewater treatment technologies that convert waste into clean water and usable energy.

In pursuit of sustainable solutions, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (the world’s largest charitable organization, funded by billionaire Bill Gates) launched the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge.

This award is given to innovative ideas for ultra-clean toilets that do not require any connection to water or electricity. The California Institute of Technology (USA) won a $100,000 prize (around 2 billion VND) for its idea to use solar energy to develop a closed-loop toilet system that recycles urine and turns feces into storable energy.