World’s first mushroom-powered toilet debuts at UBC

A team of UBC researchers have developed a fungi-fueled toilet that turns waste into nutrient-dense soil.

Tucked away in a forest in the University of B.C.’s Botanical Garden, a first-of-its-kind toilet is ready to turn human waste into nutrient-rich compost using the power of mushrooms.

Researchers developed the MycoToilet as a green alternative to chemical-heavy porta-potties with hopes the new model can be used in parks and remote areas.

“There is no waste in nature. And so we’re just kind of trying to kind of adopt a similar paradigm here,” UBC architecture professor Joseph Dahmen told CTV News.

The MycoToilet works by first separating liquid from solid waste, the latter of which is dropped into a compartment lined with mycelium, the root networks of mushrooms. The fungi break down and dry out the waste, turning human excrement into valuable soil — without the need for electricity, chemicals or water.

“The liquid waste runs off, and we capture it where it self-sterilizes and will eventually be used for irrigation,” Dahmen said.

Perhaps more importantly, the toilet’s developers say it works its magic with almost no smell.

“We actually discovered that the mycelium, when we were working with smaller prototypes in the laboratory environment, actually had a big effect on odour reduction,” said Steven Hallam, UBC microbiology and immunology professor.

Testing suggests the mycelium liners remove more than 90 per cent of odour-causing compounds, according to UBC.

‘The cycle of life’

By mimicking the natural cycle of decomposition, researchers hope the MycoToilet will change how people view waste.

“It’s the cycle of life in the forest. And people who experience that come closer to that process. And so the hope is that we are connecting people who come to the botanical gardens to that full experience, that circular experience. And, you know, that goes beyond science,” Hallam said.

UBC estimates a fully operational MycoToilet will produce 600 litres of soil and 2,000 litres of liquid fertilizer per year. The bathroom is open to the public as part of a six-week pilot test, during which researchers will monitor the mycelia’s transformation.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Isabella Zavarise