Solving An Age-Old Problem

If you are like me and were born with outdoor plumbing be grateful for being equipped to easily pee in your woods when nature calls.  No dropping the drawers for we of the male persuasion.  Hey, when you've acres upon acres of trees the world is your urinal.  That said - I also have a couple of comfy outdoor privies with contoured seating and panoramic views - but we'll save that discussion for another day.

If you're also like me - and have traveled here and abroad - there is nothing worse than being in an urban public space – a park, a botanical garden or a plaza - and being assaulted by the strong smell of cat box. I take that back – cat boxes don’t smell that bad. What I’m talking about is the sensory assault visited-upon us by public urination.  Guys (yes - guys) the Town Square in not your urinal.

I have witnessed the acrid, ammonia-like stink lingering in the city air all over North America and abroad. It is as old a challenge as civilization itself. You have to hand it to the Romans and their vast department of public works and civil engineering to introduce the concept of modern public sanitation. Yet this problem persists. And as a consequence of thinking out of the box there may be a sustainable solution.  

photo - GreenPee

This is the GreenPee – manufactured by the Dutch company Urban Sense - these colorful planters not only provide a location for pollinator habitat they also are a possible solution to urban public urination. These are being deployed in Amsterdam as well as additional Dutch cities and urban locations in Belgium. 

They reduce water use associated with traditional urinals, provide an alternative to the annoyance of public urination and can be equipped with a sensor that sends an alert when it is time to be emptied. The contents are fetched and subsequently converted to fertilizer and clean water. 

You can learn more here. 

In the mean time watch for a GreenPee coming to a big city near you.