Toilet turns waste into fertilizer and energy
Components extracted from urine become fertilizers, while faeces turn into biogas and can be converted to energy
Scientists at the Nanyang University of Technology (NTU) in Singapore have developed a toilet that turns human waste into energy and fertilizer. It's not one of the most glamorous technologies, but without counting the advantages already presented, the system allows you to use 90% less water when pressing the flush.
With the name of No-Mix Vacuum Toilet, the vessel has two "holes": one for solid waste on the front, and another for liquid waste, on the front.
Components such as potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus are collected from the urine and, with further processing, are transformed into fertilizers.
Solid waste is sent to a bioreactor, where it is stored and treated. As in modern landfills, the biogas that comes out of the waste contains methane gas. It can be used in everyday tasks (in place of cooking gas, for example), replacing natural gas in a more sustainable way, or it can also be turned into energy.
Water economy
O No-Mix Vacuum Toilet uses vacuum technology, the same as used in aircraft toilets, which considerably reduces the level of water used for flushing. In common toilets, it uses four to six liters per flush, while innovation wastes from 0.2 to one liter.
The project is still in the testing phase. Two units will be installed at NTU and, if all goes well, in three years it will be possible for the project to expand to other cities around the world. For more information, visit the university's official website or check out the video below (both in English):
