Abstract

ZITA LAGOS, Martha Estela; FIGUEROA GARCIA, Edna Cristina  and  NARVAEZ HERNANDEZ, Luz Elena. RELEVANT FEATURES IMPACT OF AN URBAN DRY TOILET IN THE CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE. Rev. Int. Contam. Ambient [online]. 2017, vol.33, n.4, pp.671-679. ISSN 0188-4999.  https://doi.org/10.20937/rica.2017.33.04.10.

The urban dry toilet is becoming commercially available and it is actually being used in Mexico in public parks and tourist areas. However its use in urban households has not yet been well accepted due to the poor perceptions of the users regarding certain characteristics that are not typically found in current technologies. The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of dry toilets that could drive consumers’ acceptance in the urban population of Querétaro to their acquisition and use within their homes. A sequential exploratory experimental design was performed in this study, using a qualitative perspective with a non-probabilistic sample, and a quantitative causal analysis with a probabilistic and stratified sample. Qualitative research show the dry toilet use perception, beliefs and customs of inhabitants, identifying the price, the ease of cleaning, the functionality, the fact that the waste is not seen and that there aren’t any odors, as determinants characteristics. Quantitative results show that more than 90 % of the sample, do not know the concept of dry toilet, while the rest relates it to water saving and latrine. Once the participants of the study identify the characteristics of this technology, 60 % of them show interest and willingness to do a change of sanitary ware in their own houses. Nevertheless, the results do not show a statistical significant relationship between this decision and the attributes measured in this investigation, suggesting that knowledge in eco-technology can have a positive impact on the consumers’ acceptance.

Keywords : urban dry toilet; determinant attributes for the purchase; water saving.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )