London: Peeing in open is considered
unhygienic but a UK-based NGO is promoting the idea claiming
it "saves both on water and the energy used in flushing the
lavatory".
The National Trust, which actively campaigns on climate
change, has asked men in the country to urinate outside on
compost heaps to help fertilise gardens and save on flushing
the lavatory.
"An average flush of the lavatory can use anything from
four and a half to nine litres of water each time, but what
people may not realise is that this water is treated to the
same standard as drinking water and shouldn't be wasted," said
Tamzin Phillips, the Trust's 'compost doctor'.
Urinating on the compost heap activates the composting
process helping to produce a ready supply of organic matter,
reported The Telegraph.
Pointing out that male urine is better than female urine
as it is less acidic, the Trust said, urine also speeds up the
chemical process in the compost heap making it a better
fertiliser to help grow vegetables and save even more energy
in reducing food miles.
The Trust is encouraging the practice by allowing male
members of its staff to empty their bladders in "pee bales"
which have been deposited in secluded areas of gardens in its
premises.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, November 13, 2009, 16:13