LIXIL Donates 10,000 Toilets to UNICEF Philippines to Aid Reconstruction Efforts in the Aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (April 15, 2014) ―LIXIL Corporation, a global leader in the housing products and building materials industry, announced that in collaboration with American Standard Brands, its wholly owned subsidiary in the U.S., it supplied UNICEF Philippines with 10,000 SaTo hygienic toilet pans to support reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan.

SaTo – pronounced SAH-toh, derived from “Safe Toilet” – is a sanitary toilet pan designed by American Standard Brands for use in Bangladesh. It works without sewer infrastructure and uses ingeniously simple mechanical and water seals to close off pit latrines from the open air, reducing the transmission of disease. LIXIL and American Standard collaborated to donate these pans to the Philippines, where UNICEF estimates that as many as 4 million children may be affected by the disaster. UNICEF intends to employ the toilet pans as an interim solution until the sewage system in the area can be rebuilt.

 “We are delighted UNICEF will be using the toilet pans to effectively improve sanitation in the disaster-stricken area. Improving world sanitation is a key corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative for LIXIL,” said Harumi Matsumura, executive officer and senior managing director, public relations, CSR and environmental for Lixil.

This commitment to supporting the area is in addition to the 10 million JPY ― nearly $100,000 in U.S. dollars ― and 10,000 plates, bowls and spoons donated immediately after the typhoon struck in November 2013. 

In addition to emergency responses such as these, LIXIL is implementing the “SISI 2018” Project, as part of a wider program focused on improved sanitation with UNICEF. This initiative was formalized in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two organizations in November 2013.

Victoria Bolam, global brand and CSR director for Lixil, explained that the Sanitation In Schools Improved 2018 (SISI 2018) program will provide improved sanitation facilities and education to 2,018,000 school children worldwide by the end of 2018. A minimum of 44,000 children will benefit from sanitation education and basic sanitation kits in the Philippines in 2014, and 16,000 school children in rural schools in China will receive new toilet facilities in July 2014.

“LIXIL’s most challenging SISI project is the installation of eco-sanitation toilet systems in schools located in the poorest and most marginalized communities in Mukuru, Nairobi. These involve design, construction, education, maintenance, compost manufacture and compost sales. The first system will be installed at the beginning of April this year, and will benefit up to 400 children,” said Bolam. “Improved sanitation is not just about toilets. It is about improved health, education, safety, and, most importantly, dignity. We are committed to finding workable, scalable solutions which provide an impactful solution to this global issue,” she concluded.

Useful information: LIXIL CSR Activities

• UN World Toilet Day with launching of ISIS 2018  http://global.lixil.co.jp/pdf/20131118_WTD.pdf
• LIXIL to Launch JICA Project in Kenya   http://global.lixil.co.jp/pdf/20140123_JICA_kenya.pdf

ABOUT LIXIL CORPORATION

Led by President and CEO Yoshiaki Fujimori, LIXIL Group Corporation (TSE Code: 5938) is a listed holding company posting 1.4 trillion JPY in consolidated sales in FY March 2013. The Group is involved in a broad spectrum of housing-related businesses, ranging from the manufacture and sales of building materials and housing equipment to the operation of home centers and a network of homebuilding franchises.

LIXIL Corporation, a consortium of building material companies, is a core enterprise of the Group, generating 80 percent of consolidated sales. The largest housing and building materials company in Japan with a vast and unique business portfolio, it is a leader in eight market categories, with a 55 percent share in exteriors,  50 percent share in housing sashes and doors,  50 percent share in curtain walls and  40 percent share in sanitary ware. LIXIL is also a leading brand in tiles, bathroom furniture, and bathroom and kitchen units.

Launched in April 2011 under its present structure and name, LIXIL has been active in strategic acquisitions and partnerships in order to fortify and accelerate its growth in foreign markets. It currently operates in more than 30 countries through various brands offering a broad lineup of products and services. Permasteelisa, Gartner and Shanghai Meite, for example, spearhead our project business (building materials and curtain walls), while LIXIL, American Standard Asia Pacific, Inax and Tostem are power players that feature an impressive brand portfolio including kitchen units, bathroom fixtures, windows and doors. For more information about LIXIL Group, please visit http://www.lixil-group.co.jp/

Media Contact in Japan

LIXIL Group Corporation

Corporate Communication Division

Miyuki Otomo 

otomom1@lixil.co.jp

ABOUT AMERICAN STANDARD BRANDS

American Standard Brands make life healthier, safer and more beautiful at home, at work, in the community and throughout the world. Offering total project solutions for residential and commercial customers around the world with respected brands such as American Standard®, DXV™, Safety Tubs®, Crane Plumbing®, Eljer®, Fiat® and Decorative Panels International®. American Standard Brands is owned by Lixil Corporation (TSE Code 5938), a global building products company. Learn more at www.americanstandard.com, or follow us at twitter.com/AmStandard, https://www.facebook.com/AmericanStandardPlumbing.

Media Contact in U.S.

Nora DePalma

O’Reilly DePalma for American Standard

(770) 772-4726

nora.depalma@oreilly-depalma.com

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