Sanitized toilet facilities are out of reach for more than 2.3 billion people globally who live in areas where accessing proper waste disposal mechanisms is a nightmare.

Scientists and environmentalists have since come up with cheap waterless designs for turning poop to clean energy.

The question on many people’s minds would be “why should I consider a waterless toilet in the first place?”

Here’s why.

Benefits of Waterless Toilets

Water is a scarce resource especially in developing countries, and for environmentally conscious folks, saving even the last drop of water is a big deal.

Waterless toilets largely reduce ecological footprints.

Since they don’t need complex septic hookups, the toilets require very little space and are quite affordable to most households.

The components of waterless toilets also make it possible to reuse or recycle wastes, making them a major player in the green movement.

Click here to read more on the benefits of waterless toilets.

Limitations of Waterless Toilets

Waterless toilet systems also have their downsides.

For example, if not well maintained, waterless toilets pose great hazards to households.

The possibility of contracting diseases from illness-causing pathogens is much higher with waterless toilets than it is with flush systems or water closets.

Some Waterless Toilets Designs That Turn Waste to Clean Energy

• Composting toilet

Ever heard of biogas?

Apart from producing rich fertilizer for use in gardens and for planting shrubs and trees, the composting toilet emits the gas as a by-product from the decomposed wastes that can be tapped into energy for use in the household.

The technology works by breaking down poo and other biodegradable wastes into compost which is then sanitized and used as manure while the gas emitted in the process is used to produce energy for heating and lighting the home.

• Hydrogen-producing toilet

This energy-producing eco-toilet is powered using solar mechanisms to improve general sanitation.

The toilet is made in such a way that as the wastes are disposed, energy is produced in the form of hydrogen. The energy can then be used in the home for domestic purposes such as heating and lighting.

The green toilet also allows for recycling and reuse of grey water in the home since it is not a completely waterless model.

• Nanotechnology

The residue left once the nanotechnology toilet has desiccated human poop can be used as fertilizer in gardens or fuel in the home.

Through the process of pervaporation, the liquid elements present in human wastes are eliminated  by vaporization.

The vapor is recovered and condensed before being drained into a separate collection tank and sanitized for household use, irrigation, or even human consumption in the form of clean drinking water.

Can you drink such a water?

• Bill Gates Nano Membrane toilet

This smart toilet that uses the process of pervaporation works using a scraper mechanism which essentially pushes waste collected in the toilet bowl down towards a receiving tank where solid and liquid components are separated, such that the solids form some sediments at the bottom of the tank while the liquid waste is filtered and evaporated.

The desiccated solids are further pushed into a gasifier where it is converted into gas and energy. The fuel from the process is powerful enough to charge a mobile phone with its surplus energy.

The upside of this Nanomembrane toilet is that it is built with a self-sustaining treatment system, an attribute that catapults it to the top toilet designs that provide households with clean and safe alternatives for waste disposal.

Wrapping Up

Waterless toilets are the future of sanitation.

Not only are they eco-friendly but also provide awesome alternatives to sanitation that facilitate turning poop to clean energy.