REFILWE, CULLINAN, Gauteng — In a significant move to advance sustainable waterless sanitation, the Department of Human Settlements has partnered with Amalooloo to deploy MyLoo Dry Sanitation Units in the Marikana informal settlement in Refilwe, Cullinan. This strategic collaboration replaces hazardous communal and pit toilets with award-winning, off-grid facilities, directly addressing the urgent need for dignified and eco-friendly hygiene solutions in water-scarce regions.
The initiative tackles severe public health risks tied to inadequate local infrastructure. One 58-year-old community member revealed she contracted an infection from communal chemical toilets last December. To safeguard her well-being, she transitioned to using a private pit toilet. However, countless other residents remain forced to rely on shared facilities, continuously compromising both their health and personal dignity.
Positioned as a highly effective interim measure while permanent infrastructure is developed, the MyLoo system offers a groundbreaking alternative. A spokesperson for Amalooloo detailed the mechanics behind the innovation, noting that the company focuses on dry sanitation technology specifically for regions lacking water and basic services.
“In the MyLoo dry sanitation system, we separate the solids and the liquids,” the Amalooloo spokesperson explained. “That gives us a lot of longevity and sustainability long-term, and we can also reuse all those nutrients for fertilizers and biochars as well.”
These waterless units are currently part of a broader national rollout aimed at resolving the country’s sanitation infrastructure deficits. A government representative highlighted that Amalooloo’s approach directly addresses national resilience and climate change realities. Stressing the importance of private partnerships in building a capable state, the representative praised the firm as a global technology leader.
“It is great that they have an all-inclusive solution,” the government representative stated, pointing to the system’s comprehensive environmental design, which includes rainwater harvesting and total waste recycling. While noting that scaling this technology for a mass rollout presents its own logistical challenges, the representative affirmed the solution’s critical role in modern, forward-thinking infrastructure planning.
Timed to honor the annual Madiba Day celebrations, the project transcends traditional charity. It delivers tangible life improvements for the community’s most vulnerable demographics, ensuring that individuals living with disabilities gain access to safe, dignified facilities that simultaneously safeguard the local environment.