A Bus Isn't The Only Thing That Can Be Powered By Poop

What can you do with human waste? Besides flushing it?

That's a question that came to mind when we read about the United Kingdom's first-ever "Bio-bus." It's a tour bus that runs between the cities of Bristol and Bath. The tank is filled with biomethane gas generated from food waste and human excrement.

And it turns out that the bus isn't the only example of poo power.

In Kenya, for example, the 3.1 million residents of Nairobi generate almost 4 million tons of fecal matter a year, says Ani Vallabhaneni, co-founder of Sanergy. The Nairobi-based nonprofit has grabbed multiple global development awards for manufacturing low-cost toilets and also for devising a way to turn waste into a thriving business in the city's slums.

That's right — Sanergy made poop a profitable commodity by treating it and turning it into fertilizer, then selling it to farmers throughout East Africa. The profits go back to the workers they employ.

The lack of sanitation in Kenya causes health problems, and that ends up costing the government money, says Vallabhaneni. "But if we can convert this cost and this environmental liability into something that can actually generate revenue or offset other problems, then that's a win-win."

Here are a few examples of how poo — and pee as well — have been turned to power.

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