It's not called a throne for nothing. Turns out, your toilet could make you royalty for simply doing your call of duty!
Your Toilet Could Be A Gold Mine And You Don't Even Know It
#1 Your Toilet May Soon Earn You Money!
It's called biogas (gaseous fuel, especially methane, produced by the fermentation of organic matter) can be extracted from poop and made into renewable energy. And a new report from the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health says that we're flushing billions of dollars worth of energy down the drain every year. That's the (billion) dollar equivalent in natural gas that is produced by people's poop per year. In fact, the UNU-INWEH says it could power 138 million homes withing the next 5 years.
#2 Energy Can Now Be Created By Converting Human Waste!
More specifically, biogas can be harvested within sealed containers such as these. Afterwards, the leftover residue can be charred and turned into a charcoal-like substance which could produce 2 million tons of charcoal-equivalent fuel, curbing the destruction of trees. The large energy value would prove small relative to that of the global health and environmental benefits that would accrue from the proper universal treatment of human waste.
#3 Recycling Containers Are Popping Up Around The World.
The bigger picture this is trying to tackle is the fact that not everyone in the world has access to working toilets, and are left to defecate in the open. This new initiative would use that for the better. But "recycling" containers for converting poo into energy are popping up all over the world. Places like Kenya, Brazil, India, Uganda, and this one near New York City, are already using the method to get energy.
#4 Major Cities Are Already On Deck (Not the POOP Deck) With The Production Centers.
This is a container that will convert waste into energy in Akron Ohio. Production of biogas and organic fertilizer from street waste will soon be the normal in places where the population has no access to inside toilets. Other major populations and first world countries are already leading the way with these conversion containers which are popping up all across Canada, the United States, Britain, and Australia.
#5 Could Reduce Poverty, Sanitation Issues, and Illnesses As Well As Creating ENERGY!
UNU-INWEH Director Zafar Adeel said:
"When it comes to creating misery and poverty, human waste mismanagement has few rivals. If we can demonstrate a simple, cost-effective new approach in low-resource settings, if we can successfully make a business case and change the economic paradigm of human waste management, we can advance development, protect the environment and help reduce sanitation problems causing one-tenth of all world illnesses."
#6 Poo Power Is A New Company Already Manufacturing Waste Separating Toilets.
Poo power is rapidly becoming the energy source of choice in many countries, powering everything from homes to motorcycles. Now scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have invented a new toilet system that not only turns human waste into electricity and fertilizers, but also reduces the amount of water needed for flushing by up to 90%! The project's ultimate aim is to convert all of the country's waste into useful resources.
#7 The No-Mix Vacuum Toilet Will Soon Be Helping To Create Energy From POO!
The system is known as the No-Mix Vacuum Toilet, due to its vacuum suction technology that is similar to those found on aircraft. The toilet system works by having two chambers separate the liquid and solid wastes so that only 0.2 liters (.05 gallons) of water are required for flushing instead of the usual 4 to 6 liters (1-1.5 gallons). If this system is installed in your average public restroom, it is estimated that is would save about 160,000 liters per year (42,267 gallons)!
The No-Mix Vacuum Toilet then diverts the liquid waste to a processing facility where components used for fertilizers nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium can be recovered. Meanwhile all solid waste is sent to a bioreactor where it will be digested to release bio-gas which contains methane. The gas can then be converted to electricity and used to fuel power plants or fuel cells.
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