WéCo, a French start-up and the inventor of an innovative ecological designer public toilet concept which is autonomous in water and energy, has won the Award for Excellence in the national technology competition organised by the China National Tourism Administration and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  This award bolsters WéCo, a company proud to be defined by the term “born global”, in its international industrial strategy.

Throughout the world, public toilets are a considerable ecological and sanitary challenge in terms of their use of resources and energy, not to mention the water pollution they cause and the absence of recycling of the waste produced. Research in this field has recently begun rapid development, principally funded by the Gates Foundation.  This field is also a priority for the China National Tourism Administration.

Following the presentation of this accolade in Yiwi (China), WéCo’s Franco-German team is preparing to erect its first installation in Europe at the 2017 Saint-Etienne Design Biennial, which will showcase the first 100% autonomous (not connected to the sewers) outdoor prototype.  WéCo will also join an incubator of tech-makers in Lyon (Bel Air Camp) and will present its indoor installations before the end of 2016.

About WéCo

WéCo is a start-up formed in 2014 in Saint-Etienne. With its team of ten partners, it has reinvented the public toilet, combining technology and design for the benefit of the environment and well-being.

Thanks to WéCo’s cooperation with international research units, a number of new solutions enable the toilet to be autonomous in terms of water and energy and to create value from the waste, along with an efficient maintenance system through Building Management System, placing the toilet at technology’s cutting edge.

The original and audacious design of the WéCo toilet is accompanied by a wide range of innovative services.  The WéCo public toilet will become a welcoming space providing urban respite, combining information and relaxation, as denoted by the term “restroom”. Indeed, it will offer users the ability to view environmental information on site, receive a health check on their smartphone, it will provide information on tourist sites in the vicinity and will enable the possibility of discovering or purchasing products through a dedicated online service.  The WéCo toilet thus offers an innovative new sales channel.

Finally, WéCo is developing a genuine ecosystem through its aim to build partnerships with local businesses in the fields of public services and product recycling.