There are quite a few inventions in human history that have had a lasting impact on our lives and, admittedly, have improved them significantly. At this point we save ourselves from listing all of them. But there is no doubt that the conventional toilet and the modern sewage system are part of it. But what if inventions don't evolve over the years? Or to put it another way: Shouldn't every invention be rethought? The increasingly scarce resources of water and energy ensure that the question of sustainability plays a central role in our society. The existing sanitary system consumes vast amounts of these valuable resources (while half of the world's population doesn't even have access to safe and hygienic sanitation). We use drinking water (3 to 9 liters depending on the system) to flush away our waste, and treating this water in turn requires an enormous amount of energy. This contradicts the basic principles of a modern circular economy.
Circular economy and composting toilets
There are quite a few inventions in human history that have had a lasting impact on our lives and, admittedly, have improved them significantly. At this point we save ourselves from listing all of them. But there is no doubt that the conventional toilet and the modern sewage system are part of it. But what if inventions don't evolve over the years? Or to put it another way: Shouldn't every invention be rethought? The increasingly scarce resources of water and energy ensure that the question of sustainability plays a central role in our society. The existing sanitary system consumes vast amounts of these valuable resources (while half of the world's population doesn't even have access to safe and hygienic sanitation). We use drinking water (3 to 9 liters depending on the system) to flush away our waste, and treating this water in turn requires an enormous amount of energy. This contradicts the basic principles of a modern circular economy.
What is circular economy?
In the circular economy, economic and ecological opportunities are combined. In terms of sustainability, materials and substances should always be used in such a way that they are not lost as simple waste from the cycle. Ideally, they can and should be used for as long as possible and recovered in later production processes. To put it simply: life cycles of materials and substances are extended and waste is reduced to a minimum. Circular economy can thus solve resource problems. Less waste and longer cycles also mean less input of new raw materials into the loop, which in turn reduces the impact on the environment. That sounds relatively easy, doesn't it? The difficulty lies in a holistic view of a product. Production, materials and substances must be selected from the outset in such a way that the longest possible shelf life is guaranteed and a large part of the substances can be returned to the cycle.
The problem with sewage treatment plants
But aren't our legacies already being recycled in sewage treatment plants? Unfortunately, that is only partially true. The water used to flush a toilet is recycled, but according to the “Umweltbundesamt” (German Federal Environment Agency), more than half of the resulting sewage sludge is incinerated instead of being used as fertilizer. Valuable ingredients and resources are lost. In terms of a regenerative circular economy, our excrements are exactly that: valuable resources that contain important nutrients and can make an important contribution to soil fertility if treated appropriately. Would you like a small example? 1 liter of urine is washed away with up to 15 liters of drinking water. Not only is this a huge water drain, but it's also a simple "throw away" of nutrients. Up to 80% of the nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, in municipal wastewater come from our feces. A waste that doesn't have to happen that way.
What we can do
So if one were to process waste properly, composting toilets, among other things, represent a huge opportunity to solve resource problems. This is also our incentive and one of the reasons why we have been taking care of your “business” for more than 3 years. Of course, we too are only a small part of a larger circular economy. There are now many actors who deal with these "shitty topic". The network for sustainable sanitation systems is one of them. NetSan e.V. aims to connect different stakeholders who work together for a reformation of the current system, to enable exchange and to promote joint work on projects for the sustainable and climate-friendly handling of human waste. Not only people from all areas participate, whether start-ups, small and medium-sized companies, science and research or individuals. We have also been able to call ourselves a member of NetSan e.V. since the beginning of 2022 and are accordingly proud of it. The socio-political debate about how to deal with human excreta will hopefully continue to occupy us all in the years to come. Of course, there is still a lot of communication and persuasion required on the subject, but we are not the only ones who are convinced that sustainable sanitary systems are the future. Composting toilets as part of this can promote a regenerative circular economy.
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