Rich Earth Institute
Collecting and recycling urine saves money and supports local ec…
Icky, icky!
Overcoming the “ick factor” is the biggest obstacle to nationwide deployment.
“Just like recycling in the 1990s, urine diversion is seen as a fringe thing,” says Abraham Noe-Hays, one of the institute’s two founders. “But it can be done, and there are markets for it.”
Brattleboro residents have contributed 12,000 gallons of urine so far.
Five have replaced their toilets with urine diversion toilets. Two of the most popular brands, the Wostman EcoFlush and the Dubbletten, are manufactured in Sweden. The toilets send urine down a tube into a 300-gallon polyethylene tank in the basement. The institute sends a truck to pump the urine out when it’s full.
Including the plumbing, two toilets cost about $4,700 to buy and install. Operating them over 20 years cost roughly $1,600. Instead of spending $200 to $300 per pound to remove nitrogen from wastewater, the process costs $32 per pound.
Other residents collect their urine in portable 5-gallon urinals that cost $10. The plastic jug comes with an odor-blocking funnel and, for an additional $2, a cloth “pee-cozy” to hide what’s inside. Then they drop off their donation at the institute’s Urine Depot.
The institute’s collection rate has increased by 5,000 gallons every year, which makes Noe-Hays very optimistic about the future.
“The current market resides on the coasts, but I believe that communities across the country will come to their senses once they see the benefits,” he says.
