Is Recycled Urine the Next Liquid Gold?

We all do it: We create waste. Waste that gets flushed away to a wastewater treatment plant or a septic tank. But did you know that our waste, specifically human urine, can be reused and recycled into a valuable agricultural fertilizer? While the concept of recycled urine may produce a cringe reaction for some, for others the idea is like striking liquid gold. Urine diversion, also playfully referred to as pee-cycling, is believed by many scientific experts to have potential large-scale global benefits, both environmentally and in the public-health sector. Once recycled, human urine (rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) could both protect the environment and provide an alternative to the synthetic fertilizers used in farming while also reducing water usage. Once an ancient practice, the process has been studied and gaining traction for many years now. Generally, however, the direct use of urine in agriculture is often prohibited in many areas so magnesium is added to the urine in order to create a usable fertilizer. Other treatment options include pasteurization, high-temperature composting and ultraviolet exposure. Due to the expense of storage, technologies are being explored that would concentrate the fertilizer in urine into a smaller volume. Some of these possible methods that would serve to make storage more economical are reverse osmosis, freeze concentration, evaporation and vapor compression distillation. Reusing urine on a grand scale could be monumentally impactful in the circular economy of water, especially in areas of the world prone to drought. A sustainable practice of urine diversion increases water efficiency and reduces environmental impact. Locally, the Rich Earth Institute in Brattleboro has been implementing urine recycling processes since 2011, when founders Kim Nace and Abe Noe-Hays first started to discuss their mutual interest in alternative waste management. They assembled a board of directors and by 2012 Rich Earth Institute had been established as a nonprofit that "engages in research, education and technological innovation to advance the use of human waste as a resource." Since 2013, Rich Earth has saved more than 2,300,000 gallons of water and has identified several programmatic goals that include demonstration projects, regulatory reform, applied research, education and outreach and technological advancement. The nonprofit's efforts have been featured in nationwide media outlets, such as CBS, The New York Times, The New Yorker and Nature. Urine used to fertilize produce for public consumption must be sanitized and is done so by Rich Earth via the recommended World Health Organization guidelines; which can be achieved through storage at 68 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for six months or a pasteurization process of 90 seconds. The institute's computerized pasteurizing equipment allows quick and energy-efficient sanitization. Its staff members provide education and guidance, including online webinars, on the process and benefits of urine collection and diversion for home gardens and beyond. It also seeks to collect data and anecdotal information from peecyclers around the world. For those looking to get started utilizing recycled urine for their home gardening, Rich Earth produces urine collection kits that are available for purchase through its website. Additionally, anyone who would like to donate their urine for use by Rich Earth Institute can purchase a five-gallon portable urine collection system, specifically designed to collect urine while containing odor, or a seated pee toilet. There are urine depots in both Brattleboro and Bellows Falls, Vt., for donation drop-off. Their online DIY instructions to build your own peecycler are another option for collections. Annually, the institute holds a summit that celebrated a 10-year anniversary milestone in October 2014. It has also published the "Guide to Starting a Community-Scale Urine Diversion Program" that is available online for download by those interested in establishing a similar program in their own community. For those who would like to learn more, the institute will offer a "Urine My Garden" webinar via Zoom on April 2, May 15 and June 18 at noon that will cover step-by-step instructions for fertilizing with urine in home gardens, community-scale urine recycling, agricultural and social research, safety considerations and the worldwide peecycling movement. An additional webinar will be held next month on April 18 called "Urine My Data: Insights from Rich Earth's Global Survey for Peecycling Gardeners," which will examine the insights gleaned from 200-plus gardeners who completed a global survey. Event tickets are on a "pay-what-you-can" basis starting at $5. For more information and to register for events, visit richearthinstitute.org.