A new campaign to provide sanitary bins for men is being backed by Transport for Wales (TfW).

The ‘Boys Need Bins’ campaign, organised by Prostate Cancer UK, aims to highlight the considerable social barrier caused by male incontinence.

The charity’s own research shows that almost all men living with incontinence – 95% – feel anxiety due to a lack of sanitary bins in men’s toilets where pads can be disposed of in a hygienic way. Prostate Cancer UK is also calling on the government to amend existing legislation to enable sanitary bins to be provided in all men’s toilets.

Other perhaps startling findings from the research showed that one in three men aged 65 or over in the UK experiences urinary incontinence while one in 20 aged over 60 suffers from bowel incontinence.

Almost one third of the men questioned in the survey revealed that they had been forced to carry their own waste in a bag until they were able to dispose of it.

TfW is also working with the independent customer group Transport Focus to bring the ‘Boys Need Bins’ campaign to the Wales and Borders network, which operates services throughout Wales as well as the lines from Newport to Chester, via Hereford and Shrewsbury, along with services to Manchester, Liverpool and Wirral, Birmingham and Cheltenham.

A pilot project has seen sanitary bins provided in two of TfW’s busiest stations – Cardiff Central and Chester.

In addition, all accessible toilets already have sanitary bins installed which can be accessed through the RADAR key scheme, even at unstaffed stations.

A changing place toilet scheme is being developed alongside Network Rail.  This will address many of the accessibility issues and other requirements of travelling people, and toilets will have sanitary bins available. Some have already been installed at Bridgend, Port Talbot and Swansea, and have been met with highly positive feedback. An emblem is displayed on the door of toilets with sanitary bins making them easy to identify and underlining the partnership between TfW and Prostate Cancer UK.

New universal toilets will be built at key stations on the Valleys network as part of the South Wales Metro project.  This ensures that members of the travelling public will always be within 15 minutes of a station toilet.

TfW’s Customer Operations Director Lisa Cleminson said: “We know that using public transport is a great way to be more sustainable, but it comes with its anxieties too. Which platform do I need? Will my train be on time?  Where do I have to change trains? So the last thing we want to do is add to that anxiety for men who need to dispose of their incontinence pads. It can impact mental health and put people off traveling altogether.

“We as a rail industry have to take the lead in breaking down those barriers.  So I’m very proud to say that we are working with Transport Focus on a trial of sanitary bins in the men’s toilets at two of our busiest stations Cardiff Central and Chester. We then expect that to be rolled out at our key hub stations Shrewsbury, Newport and Swansea before expanding further.”

Nick Ridgman, Head of Health Information and Clinical Support at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “A man living with incontinence shouldn’t have to worry that he might have to carry around his own used pads when he’s out of the house, just because he can’t access a sanitary bin to dispose of it hygienically.

“For the hundreds of thousands of men in the UK living with incontinence, this is their reality. Their lives are being limited by the taboo that surrounds male incontinence, and the anxiety caused by a lack of basic facilities in men’s toilets.  We’re delighted that Transport for Wales is backing our ‘Boys Need Bins’ campaign, and introducing sanitary bins in men’s loos across its busiest railway stations.  While we eventually want laws to change so that every man has access to a bin, in the meantime it’s exciting that real change is happening across Wales and the rest of the UK, as the campaign builds momentum.”

Michelle Roles, stakeholder manager for Wales at Transport Focus, said: “The ‘Boys Need Bins’ issue was first raised with us by Senedd Member Carolyn Thomas at our public Board meeting on behalf of a passenger using the Transport for Wales network. We raised the issue with Transport for Wales and asked for their help. We are delighted that this is being piloted by Transport for Wales to address a barrier to travel, with the support of Prostate Cancer UK. We look forward to seeing how the initiative progresses and will be encouraging other transport operators follow suit – small changes can make a world of difference to passengers.”