Cities today issue 12 | Page 39

CUTTING EDGE Waste from the toilets is mixed with sawdust and converted into organic fertiliser within three to four weeks. It’s safe to be used on flowers and vegetables and it replenishes mineral-depleated soils. The price of fertiliser farmers used until now was so high that they could only afford to purchase 9kg/hectare of fertiliser compared to the 206kg/ hectare used in the industrialised world. Photo: Sanergy Sanergy’s fertiliser is currently being distributed to 10 Kenyan farms and with extremely positive results. One partner, Komaza, cited a 20 to 30 percent increase in yield in their sorghum crops. Meanwhile, biogas production is still at the pilot stage–you need quite a lot of waste to start generating energy. Once Sanergy has about 1,000 toilets, they will have the capacity to produce between 0.5-1MW of power, which will make the company an independent power producer. Operating a Fresh Life Toilet can provide a family with a stable, legal income