A biotransformer toilet that converts human waste into biofuel was the winning idea in the Swansea round of “Invent for the Planet”, an international design competition for student inventors. The competition is run by Texas A&M University and is open to 50 participating universities in 24 countries around the world. Swansea is the only UK university invited to participate.
Students at each university work in local teams and select a global challenge, with this year’s including lower carbon solutions for the energy sector, sustainable housing for poor areas, and solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Students are given 48 hours to research their challenge and come up with an idea for a new invention. They have to create a prototype and develop an elevator pitch which they present to a panel of judges drawn from academia and industry.
Their product would improve sanitation and help prevent the spread of water-borne diseases. It would also capture methane to generate household power, create fertilizer for use in local agriculture, and create employment opportunities. Their design uses locally available, locally sourced or recycled materials which can, in turn, be re-used or recycled afterwards. During the competition the team produced an early prototype of the toilet, which the judges thought had the potential to be a viable product. The University’s enterprise team, which has a strong track record in supporting student start-ups, will also be able to offer advice on developing the idea further.
Source: Swansea University
The post The toilet that turns waste into biofuel – student inventor team’s idea wins Invent for the Planet 2025 appeared first on Vastuullisuusuutiset.fi.