Anders Wilhelmson, an architect and professor in Stockholm, has developed something that will make lives of those living in the slums a lot better. Here is a biodegradable bag that behaves like a single-use toilet for urban slums in the modern world. Dubbed the “Peepoo,” the bag can be used only once, after which it can be knotted and buried to decompose.
A layer of urea crystals in the bag help in breaking down the waste into fertilizer, killing off disease-producing pathogens found in feces. Mr. Wilhelmson performed research that made him realize that slum dwellers in Kenya collected their excrement in a plastic bag and disposed of it by flinging it, calling it a “flyaway toilet” or a “helicopter toilet.” This inspired the environmentalist to design an environmentally friendly alternative. He claims that the Peepoo can be reused to grow crops as well.
After successfully testing it for a year in Kenya and India, the Peepo will go for mass production this summer. It will be sold for about 2 or 3 cents. It is found that open defecation can contaminate drinking water, and an estimated 1.5 million children worldwide die yearly from diarrhea, largely because of poor sanitation and hygiene. Let’s hope the Peepoo comes out as a good solution.
Via: NYTimes