The Circular Toilet - a future-proof public toilet for water-wise communities
Flush and forget was yesterday. We invented a barrier-free public toilet with built-in technology that transforms urine into fertilizer and clean water – without sewer connection. Our innovation saves up to 240,000 liters of water, produces 500 kg of fertilizer and cuts 700 kg CO₂ /year. Partnering with a community we install the first Circular-Toilet. A scalable lighthouse -from touristic mountain regions to urban hotspots empowering communities to become water-wise.
What issue does your project address, and why do you want to tackle it?
Increasing water scarcity due to periodic droughts and melting glaciers forces us to rethink our current water use. 15,000 L/pers/year are used for toilet flushing! This wastewater gets diluted and mixes with micropollutants, contributes to biodiversity loss and emits greenhouse gases. Its complexity highly increases the effort to recover valuable resources. Our practical innovation shows a new pathway to save water and turn urine into a resource.
What is your project about and how does it make Switzerland water-wise?
We developed the first public toilet that turns urine into fertilizer and recovers water on-site. The Circular Toilet integrates the novel Nutrient Harvester technology (Ogmo) into a barrier-free Piazza toilet (Kompotoi). Our innovation saves water, recovers nutrients and prevents pollution. Together with a community, we install our first lighthouse – scalable from touristic regions to urban hotspots. It enables a shift to circular sanitation and empowers Swiss communities to act for climate.
How do you measure your project's success?
- We measure the amount of urine collected and fertilizer produced, which relates to the amount of water saved, as well as CO2 emissions avoided.
- We measure the number of people using the toilet. All users have a direct impact while experiencing societal change in our living lab.
Who are the people behind the project and what is your secret to a great collaboration?
Who are the people behind the project and what is your secret to a great collaboration? *
Michel (Ogmo), Jojo (Kompotoi) and Louise (VaLoo) are experts in circular sanitation. They share a common vision: to bring resources back into the circle. Michel brings scientific and technical expertise, while Jojo contributes user-interface and logistics experience resulting into a practical and scalable solutions of the Circular-Toilet. Using this lighthouse, Louise involves communities and authorities b
