2.6 billion people on earth do not have access to the
most basic sanitary facilities and about 40 % of the world population do not
own a toilet. This problem affects, in particular, the poorest people: slum
dwellers and victims of natural disasters. These people do often not have the
possibility to adequately dispose their feces. As a consequence this may
results in deadly epidemics caused by contaminated water in the slums and emergency
shelters.
Anders Wilhelmson, a Swedish architect, has been
dedicated to find a "contemporary and affordable solution" to this
problem and raised the question of how to make a meaningful business with
excrements.
In 2005 Wilhelmson found the solution: a bag. Weighing
six grams and being foldable to a size that can be carried in a pocket, this
bag is a "high-tech toilet". After using the bad to defecate, the
waste will be stored in the locked bag. Thanks to encapsulated urea in the bag
and a special coating on the inner layer, the waste can be rendered harmlessly.
Within a few weeks after defecation the organic matter within the bag convert
into fertilizer and after several months, the bag eventually resolves itself.
This final product is now called Peepoo and is
produced by Peepoople AB. Compared to previously known toilet-systems the
Peepoo's carry some substancial advantages especially for application in slums
and emergency shelters. It kills germs, can be mass-produced and incurs production
costs of approximately three Euro cents each. The relevance of this invention becomes
clear to the fullest, when considering that the alternative, the construction
of a complete sewage system in slum areas, would most likely take 50 to 100 years.
Furthermore, Peepoople is successful. In 2012, after
long years of manual production, the first fully automatic production machine
for Peepoos could be employed, guaranteeing a supply of bags for up to 12
million people monthly. Today Peepoople has two main customers. Firstly, the
largest aid agencies in the world, such as the International Red Cross or
Oxfam. In most cases, these organizations buy bags to spread them among people
that suffer from natural disasters. Secondly, private consumers, that do not
have access to an adequate disposal system. Especially in developing countries
Peepoople is present and relies on the cooperation with schools and the direct
distribution to slum dwellers.
In the future Peepoople could even open up the
sanitary market in industrialized countries, cheapening the clarification of
wastewater and simultaneously producing a natural fertilizer. Various organizations
and investors, e.g. sailors and organizers of festivals, have already claimed
interests in the company’s products.
