this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2025
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What about the nutrients in the waste? Why not compost it, capture the methane offgassing, and store that?
using human waste as fertilizer isn't a good idea.
human waste contains everything that a person has consumes. this includes disease causing pathogens and parasites.
if it were to be used as a fertilizer it would need to go through multiple stages of expensive processing and testing to ensure safety. it's far more cost effective and safer to use food by-product like fish cuttings to create fertilizers.
Treated waste water sludge is very commonly used here in Sweden albeit using anaerobic digestion rather than regular composting. High temperature composting would kill any pathogens so you can absolutely get permission to use a composting waste system in small scales. For larger scale waste treatment it is with anaerobic digestion, as mentioned.
The captured methane is typically used for fuel, e.g., in public transport.
As far as I know the sludge used for fertilizer needs to be certified under something called REVAQ. Some controversy does exist surrounding safe levels of the various harmful substances and perhaps PFAS in particular.
Just gotta lie on the questioner:
Has any PFOAS filled American pooped on this toilet in the past process cycle?
That's a trap question, we're all PFOAS filled.