Potty Talk

Nitrogen fertilizers sustain industrial agriculture but harm the planet. A climate-friendly alternative? Human urine is packed with nutrients and readily available. From Niger’s farms to Portland’s labs, innovators are overcoming social and technical barriers to turn pee into fertilizer, boosting crop yields and reducing pollution. The future of farming may flow from our toilets.

At the UN Ocean Conference, experts revealed that wastewater pollution poses a critical threat to both oceans and human health, yet it is solvable. The Ocean Sewage Alliance and its partners showcased proven solutions, ranging from coral reef recovery in Honduras to decentralized treatment in Kenya. They launched the Action Platform to End Sewage Pollution to drive global monitoring, policy, and funding.

After two impactful years as OSA Steering Committee Chair, Stewart Sarkozy-Banoczy reflects on key achievements, expanding partnerships, groundbreaking research, and global advocacy, and passes the baton to Helen Fox. With gratitude for the team’s dedication, Stewart celebrates progress in combating ocean sewage pollution and looks ahead to OSA’s continued growth under new leadership.

The company Bioforcetech creates novel products using our leftovers. Their system turns biosolids from a wastewater treatment plant into biochar — free of chemicals, PFAS or pathogens — that can be used in cement or as black dye.