Wow Of The Week

At LIXIL, everything that we do is driven by our purpose: making better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere. One in five people in the world live without a toilet. As a leading global maker of toilets and bathroom products, including the GROHE brand, we believe we can change that.

In 2012, SATO, part of LIXIL, took up the challenge to help improve sanitation and hygiene. Janaina Campoy, Leader, Global Marketing and Communications, and Jason Cardosi, Leader, Partnerships, who work for the SATO brand, visited Crossness Pumping Station in London to explain the company’s 10-year journey. Known as the “Cathedral of Sewage”, there is no greater place to share SATO’s story as a consumer-centric and impactful brand that is evolving sanitation standards across Asia and Africa.

The team started in Bangladesh where toilets were costly for much of the population.  This left people using systems of low quality, that often clogged, and used a lot of water to maintain.

After research, concept iterations and testing, the result was the first SATO toilet pan in 2013.  A new solution with a flap door that created a water seal that delivering safe sanitation at an affordable price and using less than 1 litre to flush.

This scale up was driven by SATO users, who responded the to the low cost of benefits the SATO brand brought – which according to them – are easy to use, easy to clean, safe for children and above all the lack of odours and flies.

Delivering this experience has enabled SATO the brand to reach over 45 million people through networks of local manufacturers, distributors, retailers, masons, communities, and public and corporate partners around world.

This level of scale is supporting LIXIL to deliver on its purpose to make “Sanitation for All” and make better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere.