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It is a strange collection point which was inaugurated last September in the Paris suburbs, in the town of Châtillon (Hauts-de-Seine). Volunteers, members of an Amap (association for the maintenance of peasant agriculture), were invited by the National School of Bridges and Roads to deposit… their urine! Collected in five-liter drums, the precious liquid was then poured into a large 300-liter vat before heading to agricultural fields in the Loiret to be spread there. The goal? Test the use of human pee as an alternative to chemical fertilizers (but not yet on food crops).
The idea is far from absurd. First of all, our urine is a free resource, easily recoverable, easier to collect at the source than at the outlet of the treatment plants where it is mixed – among other things – with wastewater. Then, this liquid is above all very rich in nutrients. It contains minerals and trace elements that can be assimilated by plants (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, etc.). As much as commercial fertilizers! A treat for tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers or cabbage. However, find out more about the processes before starting your vegetable garden!
From there to using this resource on a large scale, there is only one step. Imagine: one person produces enough each year to fertilize around 400 square meters, according to a study by Stockholm University (Sweden). In Switzerland, urine is already collected, processed and marketed under the Aurin brand. And in France? A project in the 14th arrondissement of Paris should see the light of day. It concerns 600 apartments equipped with special toilets. To be continued, therefore.
Happy reading!
Here is the summary of this new issue:
- File: Everything our eyes reveal
- Society: Why is the train so expensive?
- Health: Eight preconceived ideas about yoga
- Nature: In the Landes, with the river “garbage collectors”
- Culture: These territories of France that we don’t know
- Technology: Darkweb: what is the hidden side of the Web for?
Want more? See you in your points of sale now, to find your new I’m interested:
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