‘Sink Positive’ encourages handwashing, conserves water

‘Sink Positive encourages hand washing, conserves water

John Benedict demonstrates how the innovative Sink Positive, toilet-lid sink works. Benedict handles sales and marketing for Environmental Designworks Inc.

A Murfreesboro-based company is taking a Japanese innovation and bringing it to mainstream American.

It is also an environmentally friendly innovation inspired by inventor Carl Brown’s travels to the Asian country.

Sink Positive, essentially a toilet-lid sink, conserves water and encourages hand washing.

After every toilet flush, the toilet-lid sink reroutes the fresh water that would normally fill the toilet bowl first through a hand washing spigot. The device ensures clean water runs through the spigot before filling up the toilet.

“It gives you access to water you never know was there,” said Joe Parker, who handles manufacturing of the product.

Murfreesboro-based PlastiFab Inc. manufactures the product and Environmental Designworks Inc. handles the sales and marketing.

After obtaining a utility patent for Sink Positive, Brown relocated to Middle Tennessee from Los Angeles and partnered with Parker and John Benefit, who handles sales and marketing. Sink Positive has been produced in Murfreesboro for about three years.

Parker said Sink Positive takes about five minutes to self-install. And, it is adjustable to different sized toilets.

“It is not expensive,” he said, adding that the product retails for $109. “It does not require professional installation.

“It is the lazy man’s way of conserving the environment,” Parker said.

Similar toilet-lid sinks have been used for years in Japan as a space saver.

“It is a neat potty training tool,” Benedict added. “Kids love it. They love to watch the water run.”

Parker said “It is a great mother’s helper.”

An added benefit of the toilet-lid sink is that it is an easy way to catch a toilet leak. If water comes out of the spigot without a toilet flush then you know you have a toilet leak, Benedict said.

Parker and Benedict hope that Sink Positive will soon catch on in the United States with the green-living movement.

“Sales are not where we want them to be,” Benedict said.

Despite the lack of sales, Sink Positive has generated a lot of response over the Internet.

“Interest continues to increase,” Benedict said. “Internet is a great boon.”

Parker added, “(Sink Positive) has proved to be a popular Internet icon.

“It is a little off the wall, which gets it attention,” he said.

Sink Positive has appeared in publications like the Chicago Tribune, Smart Homeowner and New York Magazine.

The product also was voted one of the Top 10 innovations by Workbench Magazine in 2008.

Most sales are for home renovations, and most sales are made on the East and West Coasts. The Good Hotel in San Francisco features Sink Positive in all its bathrooms.

Currently, the largest retailer of Sink Positive is the Real Goods catalog available at http://www.realgoodscatalog.com. There are also three retails outlets in Kansas, Florida and Virginia.

Local customers can purchase Sink Positive at Environmental Designworks/PlastiFab by calling 217-8066 as there is no retailer in Tennessee.

Source – http://www.murfreesboropost.com/news.php?viewStoryPrinter=17974