LONDON, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On World Manufacturing Day, one of the world's leading engineers from the Georgia Institute of Technology is asking manufacturers to join his global collaboration of engineering and scientific teams to help solve a global sanitation challenge.

Approximately 3.6 billion people, about half the global population, do not have access to safely managed and inclusive sanitation, while about two billion people still lack access to safely managed drinking water. Children are drinking water contaminated with faeces, resulting in preventable deaths of more than 1,000 children under five every day.

From increased frequency of flooding that contaminates the world's land and natural water sources, to extended drought that is putting a strain on precious water resources, sanitation is under threat, especially in the context of climate change.

While it is primarily the world's poorest communities that are most affected, it is also a challenge in developed countries. In rural parts of America, there are currently hundreds of thousands of people without access to clean water and safe sanitation. 

Shannon Yee, a professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, is leading engineering and scientific teams from across the world to reinvent the toilet into an appliance that can deliver sustainable, safe sanitation for people who need it the most, without relying on expensive infrastructure or large volumes of flush water.  The testing phase of four protypes of this innovation - the Generation II Reinvented Toilet (G2RT) – have been underway in India and South Africa since earlier this year.

 "There has been progress in countries all over the world in tackling this issue, but we need more collective action to solve the sanitation challenge," said Yee. "This is an opportunity to be involved in the development of cutting-edge technology to transform how we manage waste. The G2RT provides an opportunity for transformational growth by creating an entirely new category, with this new appliance prototype that provides sustainable sanitation."

There is a common misconception that the manufacturing industry does not always prioritise the environment and accelerates global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, innovation and engineering have always been instrumental in solving the world's greatest challenges. Now, Yee is calling on manufacturers, sanitation providers, entrepreneurs and innovators to join his efforts to help deliver this innovation to the millions of people who need it the most.

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SOURCE Georgia Institute of Technology