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A self-sanitising biodegradable disposable toilet
Peepoo Bag
The Peepoo is a self-sanitising, biodegradable, single-use toilet in the shape of a bag, which, in
two to four weeks after use, can be utilized as a fertiliser. It is produced to provide maximum
hygiene at minimal cost in order to supply densely populated urban slums, refugee camps or
emergency camps with a safe sanitation solution (e.g. formed due to natural disasters).
Peepoo in Kiberia (Nairobi, Kenya) (Source: Peepoople, Camilla
Wirseen)
According to UNICEF Germany, 2.6 billion people worldwide
live without access to basic sanitation. As a result,
ordinary plastic bags, also commonly called “flying toilets”,
are often used as substitutes for toilets and thrown away
without any consideration. Since such bags are very thin
and rip easily, the pathogens in the contents can reach
the groundwater and, thus, contaminate the drinking water.
Contaminated drinking water is responsible for – next
Ressourceneffizienzatlas
Resource Efficiency Atlas
to many other problems – a quarter of the worldwide
children´s deaths. By using the Peepoo toilet, contamination
of groundwater and drinking water can be avoided.
Therefore, Peepoo contributes to the improvement of
drinking and groundwater quality as well as to the achievement
of the UN Millennium Development Goals.
The Peepoo has the shape of a slim elongated bag that
is made from biodegradable plastics and filled with urea.
Urea is a non-toxic and harmless carbamide. It is a natural
nitrogen based fertiliser used to sanitize the faeces and to
start the enzymatic process during which the faeces develop
ammonia and carbonate. Within two to four weeks
the dangerous bacteria and organisms become inactive.
After the complete degradation of the Peepoo, only water,
carbon dioxide and biomass remain. Untreated faeces,
however, hold the potential pathogenic germs active for
two to three years. As a result, a nutrient-rich pathogenfree
by-product is produced, which can be safely used to
fertilise soil.
Peepoo should only be used once and can be stored after
use for up to 24 hours without developing any odour.
The bag weighs less than ten grams, has a size of 14 by 38
centimetres, and is made in two layers with a wider inner
funnel. The consumer cost is between two and three cents
per piece, corresponding to about 10 euros per person and