TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The New Taipei City Excellent Public Restroom Awards Ceremony was held Friday (Nov. 8) to recognize outstanding public restrooms and cleaning staff.
The event aims to encourage the use of clean and comfortable public restroom environments. Seventy-five management units, 11 sustainable restrooms, 20 cleaning personnel, and 26 public restrooms received special recognition.
New Taipei City has prioritized improving public restroom facilities, recognizing their importance to citizens despite their seemingly minor role in the urban landscape, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said. It has implemented initiatives such as regular inspections, graded assessments, and health checks, to improve the quality of public restrooms.
All 5,965 public restrooms in the city have been rated excellent or above. The awards selection process has encouraged hardware upgrades, cleaning frequency, energy efficiency, eco-friendly practices, and unique design elements.
This year's award was divided into five categories based on restroom types and attributes. These include government facilities, tourism and recreation, transportation, commercial establishments, and inclusive facilities restrooms.
A total of 352 public restroom units registered for competition, with the commercial establishment and transportation categories receiving the most applications. A preliminary evaluation was conducted by the committee with surprise inspections by mystery visitors.
Additionally, a sustainable restroom award was established to encourage the renovation and maintenance of older public restrooms. This year, 11 public restrooms over 30 years old received this award, demonstrating that older facilities can be well-maintained, the EPD noted.
The EPD urges the public to use public restrooms responsibly and maintain proper hygiene.
