Why “Made in the USA” is Great for the Country and the Environment

Next week, lots of July 4 barbecue conversations will probably mention gasoline prices. They’ve never been this high, after all.

We’re as concerned about high gas prices as anyone, but we also hope current circumstances are encouraging people and businesses to think of ways they can use less gas. After all, reducing resource consumption is one of the cornerstones of sustainability, and we’re fully committed to sustainability.

One way we’ve found to conserve resources such as gasoline is manufacturing as many of our products as possible on American soil, and sourcing materials and components from American providers as well.

We believe “Made in the USA” isn’t just great for the country. It’s great for the environment as well.

How “Made in the USA” Helps the Environment

Visit commercial restrooms anywhere in the world and there’s a good chance you’ll find state-of-the-art Sloan restroom technology manufactured at our plants here in the United States.

Many of these products satisfy the Buy American Act, including:

• Water-saving manual and sensor flushometers
• Stylish, hygienic, touch-free faucets
• Pressure-assisted water closets
• Urinal/flushometer combos
• Hand dryers
• Sinks—and more

Manufacturing in the US and sourcing materials domestically means shorter journeys for all those items, and fewer trans-ocean trips on mammoth container ships. Those shorter trips save fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions—so every commercial restroom designer who specifies Sloan products is doing right by the environment.

Our Future Vision is Made in America, Too

Our commitment to American manufacturing and sourcing doesn’t just apply to current product lines. It’s also a big part of our future vision, including game-changing ideas such as extending hand hygiene beyond the restroom.

That project originated during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when we brainstormed with a renown architecture and design firm to explore potential innovations that could answer people’s renewed demand for hand hygiene. We asked, why not make it easier for people in offices, hotels, school, airports, and other public venues to wash their hands without visiting a restroom?

Commercial architects and designers are starting to put those ideas into practice in venues across the country. But why are we mentioning it here?

Because most of the products in our vision—including the revolutionary Mobile Handwashing Station Sinks—satisfy the Buy American Act.

When we look into the future, we see technology made in the USA.

A Sustainable American Future

To us, patriotism means making the United States a leader in technologies that benefit the entire world. For now and the future, that means preserving and protecting the environment.

We’re doing our part with water-saving commercial restroom technologies and a company-wide commitment to sustainability. That commitment includes:

• Transparency reports that reveal the environmental impact of many of our top-selling products
• Carbon-neutral products that offset their cradle-to-grave carbon footprints with reforestation credits
• A sustainability calculator that lets architects and designers easily determine the impact of every Sloan product they specify
• Partnerships with many of the most influential organizations—national and international—in water sustainability

We’ve even implemented a zero landfill initiative at our Franklin Park, Illinois headquarters, with plans to extend this program to our other facilities soon.

We believe it’s a patriotic virtue to practice environmental stewardship, and making as much of our product line as possible in the United States is a big part of that ideal. We know our customers and partners share the belief that a healthier planet makes America’s future the brightest.

Have a safe, happy 4th of July!

Want ideas for making your next commercial restroom project healthier and more sustainable? Contact Sloan!