'Men like me need law on sanitary bins in toilets'

A man with ulcerative colitis has backed a campaign to make sanitary bins a legal requirement in men's toilets, saying it is important to talk about bladder and bowel issues more openly.

Stefan Thomas, from Witney, Oxfordshire, was diagnosed with the condition when he was 27. Although treatment has helped him "to live a reasonably normal life", he still plans journeys around access to toilets.

The Boys Need Bins campaign, launched in 2023, aims to ensure men who use stoma bags, incontinence pads or other continence products have somewhere hygienic to dispose of waste.

The government has not committed to changing the law but said it recognised the importance of access to appropriate facilities.

Stefan said he had never heard of ulcerative colitis before his diagnosis and now plans every trip around access to toilets, as he needs to use one 15 to 20 times a day.

"People hold back from going out if there's not going to be decent toilets," said Stefan, who is a keynote speaker at corporate events.

"We don't talk about toilet stuff and we can do that."

Stefan, a self-described "massive music fan", said he had never attended festivals such as Glastonbury because he was incontinent some of the time.

NHS England research published in 2018 estimated 14 million people in the UK have some degree of urinary incontinence, while more than half a million adults have faecal incontinence.

Without sanitary bins, Stefan said people using pads, wipes or stoma products could find themselves in a cubicle feeling embarrassed when they "suddenly realise that you've got nowhere to dispose of it".

Raymond Martin, of the British Toilet Association, which is working with Prostate Cancer UK on the campaign, said he had seen "a massive increase" in pubs, large stores and other venues installing sanitary bins in men's toilets.

Men with prostate cancer can experience incontinence as a result of the disease or its treatment and may need pads or other continence products when away from home.

"One in eight males across the UK will suffer with prostate cancer over their lifetime... so it's something we have to have," Raymond said.

He added they had received "a fantastic response" from contract cleaners that understood the issue and the message was getting to all kinds of venues.

But Stefan said change was not happening "quite quickly enough" and urged people to talk more about their bladder and bowel issues.

Prostate Cancer UK said that as result of their campaigning, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had committed to reviewing workplace regulations in January 2025 but "unfortunately, the dial has not moved with this".

UK law legally mandates that businesses and workplaces provide a suitable, hygienic means to dispose of sanitary waste in female, unisex and disabled toilets - but the same does not apply for men's facilities.

The BBC understands the government and the HSE are due to consult on proposed changes to the Approved Code of Practice for the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

However, no decision has been taken on whether to mandate businesses to introduce sanitary bins in male toilets.

A government spokesperson said: "We recognise the importance of appropriate facilities for employees.

"We are working closely with the Health and Safety Executive to consider how best to support employees while also reducing burdens on businesses."