Portable restrooms have been used since the 1940s during the height of World War II, with the earliest units being made out of wood and metal. They were needed to provide sanitation to meet the needs of rapidly constructed military bases, industrial operations that were booming, and support similar activities associated with the rapid movement of people into areas where the infrastructure was inadequate.
The post-war building boom and the growing expectations of a traveling public provided the tail wind for industry growth over the next twenty years. By the late 1960s the portable sanitation industry was well established. Equipment had evolved and people had come to expect better sanitation options wherever they went.
In the new millennium, portable sanitation is recognized as an integral part of society in many parts of the world. Construction sites, parks, residential home building and special event venues all were expected, and now legislated, to have portable restrooms.