In a world where hygiene is seen as a luxury rather than a basic necessity, and 500 million people still defecate outdoors, this standalone work called Sandi, designed by Brunel alumnus Archie Reed, is an absolute blessing. This sustainable toilet solution is designed for rural areas that may not have access to basic amenities such as water and electricity. Sandy came up with the idea when he was working for LooWatt, a toilet company. The unique LooWatt toilet system collects waste into a biodegradable polymer membrane, an innovative product that still works in cities today. While Sandi is still a concept, if turned into a viable reality, it can provide a solution that is not only sustainable, but also safe and dignified for the residents of these places. “If you have a good complex electrical component and your village is 50 miles away from any craftsman who can fix it, you can’t expect them to run 50 miles and then 50 miles back to fix the toilet.” Reid said. “It has to be in a situation that 90 percent of people can handle on their own.”
There are certainly plenty of other self-contained toilets on the market these days, but what sets Sandi apart from them is that it can flush water. While these other toilets don’t need water to operate, they don’t flush “at all”, making the whole activity unsafe and uncomfortable.
Sandi, on the other hand, has three main components – a mechanical flush (in the absence of electricity), a main waste conveyor (in the absence of water supply) and a separator placed inside the toilet. Separation of waste streams. so that they can be reused as fertilizer. It also has two different compartments, one directs urine to a container at the bottom, and the other has a base conveyor belt covered in a layer of fine sand that renews itself every time someone flushes. Read about sand as the material of choice, as it ensures manure doesn’t stick to the belt, however, he recommends using sawdust or dirt. After you’ve finished your morning’s work, you simply push the rinse aid handle and it instantly spins, pulls the conveyor belt away from your eyes, and dumps the faeces into the container below.
If there are 7 people in the household, the liquid containers need to be emptied every two days and the solids containers need to be emptied every four days. Urine can be used immediately as a separate fertilizer, and manure can be buried for a month and used as compost.
Reid suggests that Sandi will become a reality at $74 per unit. He doesn’t believe in overpricing safe and hygienic products because they’re not a luxury, but a basic convenience.
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