The Peepoo, A Lean Green Latrine.

The Peepoo is a single use, self-sanitizing, hygienic, biodegradable human waste container (i.e. toilet) that can be even used as fertilizer after use. A smart, affordable innovation that can revolutionize sanitary waste management needs amongst millions of homeless, ill-housed or disaster affected venues.

The Problem?


In the world today, more than 2.6 billion people have no access to basic sanitation. That means that 40 out of every 100 people lack even the most simple latrine to perform their needs. The lack of toilets affects both society and the individual through the contamination of fresh water and ground water. Human feces contain viruses, bacteria, worms and parasites which kill and infect people. As a matter of fact, one child in the world dies every 15 seconds due to contaminated water.

The Solution:


The Peepoo is in the form of a slim elongated bag measuring 14 x 38 centimeters. Within the bag there is a thin gauze layer measuring 26 x 24 cm. The gauze is coated with a thin film of urea, the most common fertilizer in the world and a non-hazardous chemical. As the urea is broken down, the pH value of the material increases and hygienization begins.

The Peepoo is designed to be used once, sitting, squatting or standing. If one uses the bag by holding it with only the hand, the thin gauze prevents all contact with the excrement. It doesn't need any supporting structure, but, for convenience, a cut PET-bottle or a bucket in which to place the bag, can help:



Easy To Use, Easy To Handle
The Peepoo is a toilet which is not fixed to a particular place. It is simple to carry since it is small and weighs less than 10 grams. The only thing one needs to do is find a secluded spot where one can use it as a toilet.

Peepoos are odor free for at least 24 hours after use and can thus be stored in the immediate environment. It is one of few sanitation solutions which require no water. The only water required is to wash the hands after use. The Peepoos cuts the traditional link between water and sanitation. A used Peepoo bag is clean to handle. It has become a waste product that neither smells nor is dirty to take care of and collect.



Without sacrificing ergonomic function, the bag’s design is adapted in every way so that it might be manufactured at as low a price as possible and sold to groups with the weakest purchasing power in the world.

Use As Fertilizer
Two to four weeks after use, the treated feces constitute a high value fertilizer with a considerable market value. The fertilizer will mainly be a nitrogen fertilizer due to the added urea for sanitation. Other nutrients are also available for the plants and thereby improve the soil fertility. Additionally, the organic matter in the feces will improve the soil’s structure, buffering capacity, and water holding capacity which, in the long term, will improve the potential harvest from the fields.

Since fertilizers are an expensive and scarce commodity in developing countries, it is possible for simple economic systems to develop informally through the collection and distribution of used Peepoos. Consequently, the used bags represent a local resource instead of a contaminant.



The Materials
The Peepoo is made of a high performance degradable bioplastic which meets EU standard EN13432. The plastic not only disintegrates but the molecules are also broken down into carbon dioxide, water and bio-mass. 45% of the plastic is produced using renewable materials. Peepoople intends, within the near future, to find a solution which is 100% renewable. The bioplastic comprises a mixture of aromatic co-polyesters and polylactone acid (PLA), with small additives of wax and lime. PHB represents alternative bioplastics.



How It Began
The Peepoo project was initiated by Anders Wilhelmson in September 2005. During the spring of 2006, a group comprised of researchers and other interested persons was formed and the company, based in Stockholm, Sweden was founded. Initial tests and development of a prototypical Peepoo toilet were completed later that year, followed by the formation of Peepoople AB in December. Following positive test results, a Swedish patent was initially assigned in March 2007 and granted in December and a world patent PCT was assigned in March 2008. In October 2009, Karin Ruiz was brought on board as CEO and now, the Peepoo toilet is scheduled to be available for delivery in the third trimester of 2010.



About Peepoople
Peepoople AB was created to develop, produce and distribute the Peepoo (pat.pend) sanitation solution. The mission of Peepoople is to provide universal access to dignified and hygienic sanitation. Research has been conducted in co-operation with the Swedish University of Agricultural Science (SLU) and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).

You can learn more at Peepoople.com

A Shop That Sells Consumer Awareness: The FLOWmarket

A shop selling consumer awareness
FLOWmarket™ is a shop designed to inspire consumers to think, live and consume more holistic.

Present imbalances from the 3 dimensions of the FLOW model™ have been addressed and transformed into physical products in the shape of aesthetically designed (empty) packings with humorous and thought awakening labels that the visiting consumers can buy at prices ranging from 5-20 dollars.



FLOWmarket™ ”basic collection” offers 40 different scarcity goods in 3 product categories:





The product category ”Individual flow” offers e.g: ”stress killers”, ”ups and downs”, ”addiction liberators”, ”detox”, ”obesity dissolvers”, ”a lack of exercise killers” and ”symptom removers”.




The product category ”Collective flow” offers e.g: ”off liners”, ”commercial free-space”, ”presence”, ”tolerance”, ”exploitation free produce” and ”consumption moderators”.




The product category ”Environmental flow” offers e.g: ”organic food”, ”clean tap water”, ”pollution dissolvers”, ”factory farming antibiotics”, ”renewable energy ” and ”100% GMO”.

In relation to these new scarcity goods the FLOWmarket™ is addressing imbalances from each of the 3 product categories as well as elite companies that have succeeded in gaining a leading position in the rapidly emerging “holistic market” through their unique approach to sustainable innovation.

The first FLOW market™ opened in 2004 and has due to it’s commercial success been granted a permanent status at the Danish Design Center in Copenhagen, Denmark. The goal is to make FLOWmarket™ a global franchise success.

Of appraisals FLOW market™ has received a danish design award in 2004 along with a Danish broadsheet and a Swedish TV-program naming it the danish design event of 2004. In 2006 FLOW market™ won the ICFF editors award in New York.

FLOW

A brand and template that meets the rising demand for sustainable innovation
Throughout the 20th century the pursuit for technological and economic progress has given the industrialized world great new possibilities but has also resulted in a wide range of imbalances and challenges on 3 levels:

The individual - man’s relation to oneself:
(rising stress- depression- and obesity curves, addictions, eating disorders, symptom treatments etc.)

The collective - man’s relation to society:
(over-consumption, increasing fear, xenophobia, global inequality, cultural rectification, conflicts over resources etc.)

The environmental - man’s relation to nature:
(pollution, agricultural toxics, factory farming, decreasing biodiversity, non renewable energy consumption etc.)

Challenges that individually and together bear witness to an unhealthy development of our societies.

As a response a need for more sustainable growth is rising to the top of the agenda of individuals, business and nations.

Thus a new consumer market based on values is expanding rapidly, where the materialistically rich consumer increasingly judges products and sevices on their immaterial values and on level of sustainability.

Businesses, whose role is changing from being production units to becoming ”corporate citizens” know this.
They themselves point towards social responsibility and innovation as the most important competitive parameters of tomorrow, but they lack the skills to combine the to notions.

FLOW™ - a template and brand
In order to meet the rising demand for sustainable growth and innovation we will have to be able to navigate within
the term sustainablility. For this purpose we have created the FLOWmodel™, a design model that reflects our three dimensional view on creating sustainable growth:

Individual flow:
Balanced physical, mental and spiritual growth.

Collective flow:
Balanced interpersonel, cultural, economic, social and technological growth.

Environmental flow:
Balanced environmental growth.

A holistic mindset that is the essential basis of all our future commercial and non-commercial activities. Thus FLOW™ is the brand name for our products and services that in each of their own way catalyze sustainable growth.

A FLOW™ product is caracterised by providing beneficial solutions on both the individual, the collective and the environmental level.

A wide range of products created from theFLOWmodel™ are in progress, and will be serving consumer markets in the near future. The first product launch will be FLOWbottle™ in august 2007.

You can buy the products here.

all information and images courtesy of FLOW.

Funky Find of The Week

It's a piece of art that makes a statement AND it's a functional drinking glass (as long as you don't fill it above the 'need' line). Helping you to curb your waste, each glass is hand signed and numbered. And only $24 a piece. Available in clear of 'foamed'. Just click on the pic above and you'll be given more information and the option to order.

From Alesina design.