A Carterton couple taking care of the region’s number ones and twos at events, weddings and gatherings with their innovative and eco-friendly take on the portaloo is embarking on a tree giveaway to celebrate their fifth anniversary of being in business.
Rachael and Matt Dell of Little Green Dunny started their range of portable, composting toilets in 2019 as a more sustainable – and pleasant – alternative to the traditional chemical portaloo.
Their first little green dunny – which was wheelchair accessible – debuted at Wings Over Wairarapa.
Today, the couple have seven little green dunnies available for long or short-term rental, and also build and deliver dunnies for purchase [flat pack for out-of-region].
Over the past five years, Matt [known as the “muscle” of the operation] has “tweaked” the design, and “each one gets better and better” – but the core principles have remained the same.
“We’ve developed a design that is as simple as it can be. There’s nothing to break or fail. There are no moving parts, so it’s simple to maintain.”
“We wanted it to be simple because these toilets go out to events, and it will be the toilet to use, so you don’t want it to be complicated,” Rachael [affectionately referred to as the “hustle” of the business] said. “You just want to go.”
The couple admits the portable eco-loo idea would have struggled 15 years ago – but attitudes have shifted in recent years as people have become more environmentally aware of issues like water usage and climate change.
“It can be up to six litres every time you flush a conventional toilet. The compost loo doesn’t use water, so people living in dry conditions or not on reticulated water really like our dunnies,” Rachael said.
At the beginning of every hire or purchase, the Dells provide a guide to servicing the loos, “and the ins and outs of how it works”, Rachael said.
As well as not being a smelly experience for the user, like a traditional chemical portaloo, little green dunnies just keep on serving the public need, explained Matt.
“Because we supply as many bins as people need [for their event], once it’s full, it’s not like they have to stop using it. They just swap the bin out and put another one in,” he said.
“The endless capacity of our loos is a bit of a point of difference.”
The tree giveaway is Matt’s idea and a way for the dunny duo to “give back, in a small way, through trees”, Rachael said.
“For every week we’ve been in business – which adds up to 260 weeks – we will donate a tree.”
Community groups and planting groups are especially welcome, the couple said, as they fit well with the profile of some of their clientele.
“Quite a few of our hires have been for planting days, and there are bound to be other groups out there doing good works,” Rachael said.
“We just want to make it easy for people and let them know that if you have a community focus and a place for a tree to go, then get in touch.”
If your group or initiative fits the bill, contact Rachael Dell at Little Green Dunny at [email protected]
