The toilet does not need water

South Korean scientists turn the toilet into a sustainable energy producer that is capable of converting human waste into bioenergy.

Researchers at the National Institute for Science and Technology (UI) in Ulsan, Korea (UNIST) make a pilot toilet without using water. This is the system that decays human waste into a degraded and odorless compost like material . The material is transported to a storage tank where microorganisms turn waste into carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) and methane (CH ₄ ).

The toilet system does not use water to convert human waste into compost, which is then made into biofuel. (Photo: UNIST).

The scientists recovered _CO2 through the membrane under high pressure conditions. _CO2 is then used to feed the algae to produce biofuel, and CH ₄ gas as fuel for heating. They hope to create a cost-effective, economically viable biofuel production system.

"Our ultimate goal is not just a new toilet system, which saves water and reduces operating costs for wastewater treatment plants." We set up an ecosystem to support innovation. Technically, promoting economic diversification brings human waste literally literally, "said Jaeweon Cho, professor of environmental engineering at UNIST.

The team also invited artists and architects to help make the experiment more attractive, by designing a "future toilet" with rain cover and other cosmetic elements.

"This is a very interesting project for us, and we hope that the new toilet model is an important step in the development of countries facing many environmental and sanitation issues. There is no sustainable energy, " said Cho.