For Immediate Release
November 16, 2017
LIXIL Group Corporation

LIXIL Marks World Toilet Day with Next Generation of SATO Products
SATO’s new V-Trap Connection System going for $10 or less in India, helping to reduce open
defecation
Tokyo, Japan – LIXIL Group Corporation (“LIXIL Group”), a global leader in the housing and building
industry, is marking World Toilet Day (November 19) with the roll-out in multiple states in India of its
new series of innovative SATO products. SATO is a first-of-its-kind line of innovative toilet andsanitation products designed to bring improved sanitation and comfort to rural and peri-urban
communities around the world.
SATO products are already in use and improving sanitation for over six million people around the world,
primarily in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. With the launch of its latest products in India, LIXIL
hopes to further improve sanitation and raise the standards of living for impacted communities
worldwide. SATO products, which retail for $10 or less depending on the country and model,
incorporate a simple yet clever self-closing trap door. This effectively reduces transmission of disease
and minimizes odors, making the toilet safer and more pleasant to use.

Video: Time for Global Action (India, 6 minutes)

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The new series of SATO products feature a carefully
tailored design that addresses some of the uniquedesign challenges hindering sustainable use of toilets
in India. Since the introduction of Swachh Bharat
Mission in India (the government’s initiative toeradicate open defecation by 2019), the number ofpeople still defecating in the open has dropped from
550 million people to an estimated 320 million
people.
Approximately 47,000 Twin-Pit Pour-Flush (TPPF)
latrines are built in India every day, but most require
more than five liters to flush and feature a junction
box for switching between pits that is prone toclogging. The new generation of SATO uses aninnovative V-trap configuration connecting the twinpits. This design makes switching between the twopits easier and eliminates clogging. The SATO V-trap
connection system also requires approximately 80%
less water per flush.

SATO’s new V-Trap connection system, a twin-pit
pour-flush latrine, being installed by local masons

The new series of SATO products is currently commercially available in two states in India – Madhya
Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, with launches in eight new states planned within the next three months.
“Over the last year, we have scaled our efforts to improve access to safe sanitation for communities
around the world, including in India. By supporting the Swachh Bharat Mission in India, we can expand
our efforts and make a real contribution to solving the sanitation crisis,” said Jin Montesano, Executive
Officer and Senior Managing Director, LIXIL Group. “We believe that offering innovative, safe, andaffordable solutions can aid in eliminating India’s struggle against open defecation.”
In 2012, LIXIL’s American Standard developed the original SATO latrine pan. LIXIL has committed toimproving access to sanitation and hygiene for 100 million people globally by 2020. The SATO brand,
together with further sanitation initiatives that LIXIL is developing, such as the Portable Toilet System,
will be key to achieving this.
-EndsContact

Public Affairs Division, LIXIL Corporation
John Short / Masako Takada / Kai Maraun:
pr_global@lixil.com
Tel: +81-3-6268-8801

2About LIXIL
LIXIL Corporation is a global leader in housing and building materials products and services. The foundation of LIXIL’ssuccess is our constant investment in technological innovation to improve the way we live. Delivering core strengths inwater, housing, building and kitchen technologies, our brand portfolio businesses LIXIL, GROHE, American Standard
Brands and Permasteelisa are leaders in the industries and regions in which they operate. LIXIL produces some of theworld’s most fundamental and innovative products and services, and our solutions are an integral part of some of theworld’s most iconic and cutting-edge living and working spaces. Operating in more than 150 countries, and employing
more than 80,000 people, we bring together function, quality and design to make people’s lives better, and moredelightful – wherever they are.
About LIXIL Group
LIXIL Group Corporation (TSE Code: 5938) is the listed holding company containing LIXIL Corporation, LIXIL VIVACORPORATION and LIXIL Housing Research Institute, Ltd. The Group, which is led by President and CEO Kinya Seto, isinvolved 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, andcomprehensive real estate service. LIXIL Group Corporation posted ¥1.89 trillion in consolidated sales in FYE March 2016.

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