French start-up WeCo launches commercialisation of ecological flush toilets with waste-water-treatment in a closed circuit

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  • jorg
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Re: no-mix (urine diversion) squat toilet - looking for a supplier

hello to the forum
our company is looking for a urine diverting squat toilet. Is anybody aware about a commercialized product available in Europe, Asia or anywhere else ?
Best from France,
Jörg
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  • scottchen
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Re: commercial public udd-toilets project for urban areas in Asia

Great minds! but it seems to me you have only good ideas w/o specific technology,teams…
The general manager of SHEN ZHEN BLUE WATERS AND GREEN MOUNTAINS LTD , the sole importer of Separett AB waterless toilets in China.
Chen Xiang Yang, an apple dealer,is growing apples and cherries with the human waste collected from 31 school UDDTs donated by SOHO China Foundation, based in Tianshui City, Gansu Province , China. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., tel:0086 151 9380 3972
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Re: developement strategies for a chain for intelligent and lucrative urine reuse

dear jorg:
I am very interested in your work for China market.
pls send mails to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
GOOGLE banned in China.
best regards
scott
The general manager of SHEN ZHEN BLUE WATERS AND GREEN MOUNTAINS LTD , the sole importer of Separett AB waterless toilets in China.
Chen Xiang Yang, an apple dealer,is growing apples and cherries with the human waste collected from 31 school UDDTs donated by SOHO China Foundation, based in Tianshui City, Gansu Province , China. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., tel:0086 151 9380 3972
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  • jorg
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Re: developement strategies for a chain for intelligent and lucrative urine reuse

Hello Elisabeth,
of course, I first turned me on Scott Chen directly, via his forum-adress and by email to his personal website - unfortunately I never received any answer.
So, dear Scott Chen, if ever you read these lines, I hope I'll get news from you one day.
Best regards from springtime in France,
Jörg
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  • Elisabeth
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Re: developement strategies for a chain for intelligent and lucrative urine reuse

Dear Jörg,

Thanks for your update on your project on developing a chain of local transport, treatment, recycling and reuse of urine in China.

As you have asked for contacts, I am wondering if you have connected with Scott Chen in China yet? He seems to be the Number 1 person there when it comes to reuse of urine in agriulture on a large scale, to grow apples and other crops.

Scott has recently written about his work here on the forum:
forum.susana.org/forum/categories/176-ph...nference-espc2#12514

Please keep us informed of your progress and questions that we might be able to help with.

Regards,
Elisabeth
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Re: developement strategies for a chain for intelligent and lucrative urine reuse

Hello!

I am also very interested in the responses for this, as I am currently developing a urine collection and reuse scheme for the refugee populations in Kurdistan Iraq. We are hoping to develop a sort of urine market as the exisiting fertilizer market does not meet the local demand. Looking for existing examples of lucrative reuse schemes.

Thanks!
Lillian
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  • jorg
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Re: Developement strategies for a chain for intelligent and lucrative urine reuse (China)

Hi all !

Some weeks ago, I posted a couple of questions concerning the creation of a french company developing a UDDT-project. Thanks fopr all your answers !
Since, we progressed a lot, we are now sure to produce ecological public design toilets with a high frequency, for the Chinese market, focusing regions with a high income public. Even if the cabin itself and the technology underneath is already in an advanced state, we seek for different possibilities of recycling human waste after seperation and collection.

Our aim is to develop a chain of local transport, treatment, recycling and reuse of urine.

Above all, we are looking for contacts to agricultural cooperatives, entrepreneurial interested farmers, companies, institutions, etc., which are specialized in waste recovery and could possibly be interested in a future cooperation with our business.


best regards from Lyon,

Jörg
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  • jorg
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Re: commercial public udd-toilets project for urban areas in Asia

Hello everybody,

thanks a lot for your hints, comments, questions ans suggestions - and sorry for this late answer, I went on holidays just after posting my message and in the moment I'm about to move my office and I live between bags and boxes since two weeks.

I'll try to complete the description of our project, which is going to become a commercial enterprise soon – for instance we are still at the stage of advanced market-study and the the business-plan improvement. We'll be situated near Lyon in France.

- What exactly is the product ?

Our idea is a modular concept that can be combined in various versions and sizes. The cabin offers a variety of services : comfort station, charging for mobile phone and laptop, dressing table - the toilet is integrated as one part of this concept. The station will operate autonomously: Without water and electricity. Therefore, it can be installed without any preparation anywhere.
Clearly, the cabin is provided for the well-off urban audience. You should be in inner cities, shopping malls, tourist centers, etc.

- Why the Asian market ?

In our different professions, we are already working with asian companies, the idea got out of these existing partnerships. Moreover, in China, Chorea, Japan the public founds for ecological innovation are rather generous in this period.
One of our members came back this week from a commercial journey to China and Japan, the results are encouraging, we may have found some potential clients and someone who could be in charge of an agency in a big Chinese city.

After all, combination of luxury and environmental innovation pleases a prosperous Asian public – as well as the Europeans, but for instance we continue to focus the public Asian marked.


- What is your niche?

We try to combine urban luxury / design and ecological technology. The upcoming consumer society of asian countries (China above all) seems to be unsatisfied about the existing public sanitary situation. We would like to offer more than a toilet but a kind of service orientated rest-room. The modular concept allows adaptation to the specific requirements of each place.

- What is your target price?

For instance we have no clear idea about the price, the estimation is a cost about 600 US $ par square meter, but we do not know the cost of the technical components. Probably the basic station will turn about several ten thousand US-Dollars. This seems to be a lot, the commercial argument is the complete autonomy of the cabin and the easy installing. After a first calculation, the cost of the maintenance service could be covered by the sale of the feces as a raw material for fertilizer.

- What materials would you like to use? (Any chance of including post-consumer "waste", such as plastic bottles, TetraPak or recycled HDPE?)


We try to work as much as possible with recycled and and recyclable materials for the cabin, walls, roof, furniture etc. We are in contact with french designers and engineers who are specialized in the procedures. The product will be produced in France and/or Germany, and, as far as possible, in the country of destination.

What exactly are we looking for :

After a review of the existing technologies of urine diverting dry toilets we learned a lot about it, but we are not in the condition to evaluate which is the „best“ system for our product. Therefor we are looking for people who could advice us about :

the technical implementation of mechanic systems and surfaces

the analyze and transformation of urine and feces to raw material or usable fertilizer

the stockage and transport of big quantities of urine and feces

It's possible to work with us by participating as a partner in the enterprise - or for us as a consulter.

The perfect way to succeed would be a partnership with a research group willing to realize innovation in a commerical project.

Hope to hear from you sooner as I did,

Jörg
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  • canaday
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Re: commercial public udd-toilets project for urban areas in Asia

Dear Jorg,

This sounds very interesting ... and there is still ample room for more innovation in UDDTs (and I have a number of ideas on this).

Is your plan to sell prefabricated UDDTs, complete with privacy structures, that can be shipped wherever and put together?

What is your target market?
What is your target price?
What materials would you like to use? (Any chance of including post-consumer "waste", such as plastic bottles, TetraPak or recycled HDPE?)

Je ne suis pas francais, mais j'ai vecu un an au Québec et je peux lire bien.
(I am not French, but I lived in Quebec for a year and can read well.)

We look forward to learning more about your project.

Best wishes,
Chris Canaday
Conservation Biologist and EcoSan Promoter
Omaere Ethnobotanical Park
Puyo, Pastaza, Ecuador, South America
inodoroseco.blogspot.com
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  • ben
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Re: commercial public udd-toilets project for urban areas in Asia

Bonsoir Jorg,

Je dois dire que ton message aiguise notre curiosité.
En essayant de lire entre les lignes, tu semble rechercher des techniciens spécialisés dans la techniques des UDDT et des financeurs pour ton programme. Les deux catégories consultent les discussions de ce forum, je crains toutefois que seul la première soit vraiment réactives à tes demandes. Ta cible semble le milieu urbain des pays développés.
Je travaille sur ces thèmes en france et je t'invite à jeter un oeil à notre projet qui est en test actuellement ( projet ecosec ).

Pour rejoindre Elizabeth, avec un peu plus de détail sur les origines du projet, ton background, la localisation et le contexte du lieu d'implantation, etc ... tu auras plus de chance d'avori des réponses.

Hi Jorg,

I must say that your message raise our curiosity.
Trying to read between the lines, you seem to look for technicians specialized in UDDT and funders for your program. Both categories consult threads in this forum, I am afraid, however, that only the first would be truly responsive to your requests. Your target seems urban developed countries, right ?
I work on these issues in France and I invite you to take a look at our project which is currently in test ( Ecosec project ).

To follow Elizabeth, with a little more detail on the origins of the project, your background, location and context, etc ... you'll have more chance of get answers.

Dans l'attente d'en savoir plus ...

Ben
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  • Elisabeth
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Re: commercial public udd-toilets project for urban areas in Asia

Dear Jörg,

Welcome to the forum! Could you please clarify what you have in mind with a "commercial public udd-toilet project"?

I presume that udd stands for urine diversion dehydration, i.e. without flushing?

If it's going to be a commercial enterprise then why call it a "project"?

Why the Asian market and not first in France or Germany? Test it out at home first? Or which part of the Asian market do you have in mind? Urban? Low income?

Have you looked at the work by Eram Scientific in Kerala, India (their toilets are conventional toilets though, but also public toilets for the urban market in India):
forum.susana.org/forum/categories/105-pr...ram-scientific-india

I guess you already have a business plan? What is your niche? How much would you charge for using the toilet?

In terms of research groups, I reckon if you have a look at the SuSanA partners in Asia you might find some interesting organisations:
www.susana.org/en/partner
(use the filter function on that page)

In China, consider Beijing University (contacts are Zifu Lee and Heinz-Peter Mang), and there are also other research groups which had funding by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, e.g. this group seems to be doing innovative sanitation work:
Shijiazhuang University of Economics/Beijing Sunnybreeze Technology Inc in China

forum.susana.org/forum/categories/105-pr...ijiazhuang-uni-china

Do tell us more, unless it would give away too many of your business secrets of course! Good to see some private sector involvement, that's for sure. :-)

Hope this helps a little bit but I think we need more information in order to help you better.

Regards,
Elisabeth
Dr. Elisabeth von Muench
Freelance consultant on environmental and climate projects
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  • jorg
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Commercial public udd-toilets project for urban areas in Asia (company Wéco, located in France)

Being a european team of architects, lawyers, project managers, designers and engineers, we are working intensively on a commecial public udd-toilet project for the asian market. Unfortunatly we are no sanitary specialists and we need help in technical questions and business-contacs all over Asia, especially in China, Corea and Japan.

The questions I would like to ask you :

Is there in the field of ecological sanitation technology still a potential for innovation: fecal analysis, storage, transformation, surface condition of the pipe systems ... ?

We are looking for research groups or potential promoters in Asia that may be open for a commercial, technical, strategic cooperation?

Are there any French or German speaking engineering offices or centers of excellence represented on this blog that have specialized in this issue and may support us in the technical implementation?

Does anyone know potential private or public investors for commercial sanitation projects?

Best regards from Lyon, France
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