With the fast-changing world and innovative technologies in waste management, poop is no longer viewed as a nuisance but as a resource.

This is after the emergence of new technologies especially in developing countries that promote efficient and sustainable waste management practices.

Proper sanitation is important in avoiding diseases and outbreaks that result from contaminated water but this can prove difficult where there are no proper waste disposal mechanisms.

Take for instance the fact that 35% of the world’s population have no access to proper toilets with people doing their dirty little businesses in the open air or in rivers and streams.

In fact, the conventional toilets are out of reach for a big percentage of the global population due to the cost of setting up the infrastructure.

But all is not lost.

There are several innovative technologies that are quickly transforming waste disposal practices.

Here are 7 sustainable toilet ideas that are changing the way the world poops.

1.      The Bio-Digester Toilet

Also known as the composting toilet, this type of sustainable toilet works by turning human poop into manure and gases that can be utilized by households in their homes.

The toilet works by fermenting the wastes in an enormous underground bio-digester tank usually situated beneath the toilet or in a separate remote location.

The end product of the fermenting process is known as compost or humanure and is suitable for enriching the soil for farming or gardening purposes.

Although the humanure compost should be treated before use in edible gardens, the cost of treatment is manageable for most households.

The other by-product of composting are the gases produced in the process which act as sources of energy. The gases can be used to fire up gas stoves in the home or to generate electricity and run heating devices.

The toilet is suitable for use in the villages and other remote areas where sufficient space is available to install the bio-digester tank.

2.      The Automated Self-cleaning Toilet

This toilet made of stainless steel is solar-powered and has the ability to automatically clean itself.

Since it does not require electricity to operate, this sustainable toilet is best suited in remote areas where maintaining proper, affordable waste disposal mechanisms is a nightmare.

The manufacturers are able to track its functionality using GPS units and offer facilities for customer support as and when it is needed.

3.      The Bamboo Toilet

Many people in developing countries where proper methods of waste disposal are hard to come by are known to defecate in the open despite the concerns for potential disease outbreaks.

In these areas, toilets are considered a luxury due to the poverty levels and the presumably high costs of materials for building toilets.

Yet this should not be the case, especially where households have access to cheap, natural and readily available bamboo tree.

UNICEF is one of the organizations that are promoting the use of the woody plant to build the sustainable bamboo toilet in remote areas.

Despite the toilet being low tech, the idea is scalable and has the potential of impacting waste management in underdeveloped countries.

4.      The Solar- Powered Waste Sterilizer

This solar-operated toilet is fitted with parabolic mirrors whose main aim is to concentrate and redirect rays from the sun to the waste collection chamber to heat it up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit and convert the waste into biochar. The charcoal which is the end product can be used on gardens as fertilizer.

This toilet was developed in March 2014 by University of Colorado Boulder researchers for the Reinvent Toilet Challenge which attracted a $777,000 grant.

5.      The Crapper

The indoor composting toilet is one of the sustainable toilet designs that are changing the way the world poops.

The toilet can be homemade and is suitable for use in tiny spaces. The toilet works like a garden composter, collecting waste and emptying it into the compost container where it is aerated and naturally decomposed.

The solid waste is dried to ward off the foul smell and can be sterilized to kill pathogens. To aid the decomposition process, the toilet uses basic materials like sawdust making it a cheap and affordable alternative for most households.

The toilet does not require complex septic hookups. Instead, a toilet set is placed on top of a huge bucket and the user is good to go.

6.      The Toilet on Wheels

This design is a mobile toilet. Literally.

The thought of a toilet on wheels appears a little far-fetched, right?

Perhaps not.

This sustainable toilet idea makes use of an ecofriendly toilet on rickshaws where the facilities are moved from one area to another to allow easier access by users.

The idea is to encourage people to properly relieve themselves in available facilities to promote proper sanitation as opposed to defecating in the streets and bushes.

7.      The Homemade Composting Toilet

This sustainable toilet works by separating urine from the solid waste before converting the waste into rich agricultural compost for use as fertilizer.

The toilet design makes use of locally available materials and the customized separation of solid and liquid wastes helps in keeping the facility odor-free.

The toilet for environmentally friendly sanitation was designed by SOIL to cut costs of waste disposal for households in developing countries.

Wrapping Up

Sustainability of procedures for waste disposal should be emphasized failure to which it would defeat the noble intention of coming up with a toilet design in the first place.

For the toilet idea to be sustainable consider two main factors.

• Is the cost affordable to households?

Where the modern toilet design is too expensive to run especially in poor societies, the idea will not be sustainable and people will not buy into it.

Consider the infrastructure in an area such as the availability of electricity or treatment plants before promoting a waste disposal idea.

• Are the materials readily available?

The materials required to build a toilet should be easily accessible by locals if the toilet idea is to be sustainable. If the building materials are out of reach whether in terms of resources, financial or otherwise, then people will not buy into the toilet idea.

Sustainable toilet ideas are unlimited and every day, different people are coming up with more designs that reduce ecological footprints. What’s yours?