The Rich Earth Institute recycles human urine into fertilizer. This work supports sustainable agriculture and protects vital water resources. Learn More
National Science Foundation (NSF) video about our ongoing research on urine-derived fertilizers.
Watch an animation explaning the basic science and purpose behind urine recycling.
9 billion poundsAmount of chemical fertilizer that could be replaced with the urine Americans produce each year. |
320 poundsAmount of wheat that could be grown in a year with the fertilizer from one adult’s urine. |
125 gallonsApproximate volume of urine an adult produces each year. |
More than 15,000Water bodies in the US impaired due to nitrogen and phosphorous pollution. |
80 percentPortion of the nitrogen and phosphorous pollution in wastewater caused by human waste. |
1.2 trillion gallonsAmount of drinkable water we use each year to flush toilets. |
4000 gallonsAmount of water you could save per year by diverting urine for fertilizer. |
270 percentIncrease in phosphorus fertilizer price between 1993 and 2013. |
The Rich Earth Institute conducts original research in collaboration with academic and industry leaders, examining the safety and efficacy of using urine-derived fertilizers in agriculture.
The Rich Earth Institute has an extensive outreach agenda, educating diverse stakeholders on the science and technology behind this new approach to sanitation.
The goal of regulations that are encountered in the course of implementing resource recovery are to protect human and environmental health from harm. Source separation systems like urine diversion share this goal, protecting sensitive aquatic ecosystems from nutrient pollution and keeping nutrient-rich human wastes separated from industrial contaminants.
We’re grateful for ongoing funding for our community-scale peecycling work from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Long Island Sound Futures Fund. We’ve wrapped up our project expanding implementation in […]
