Summary
Linear approaches to problems, in which resources are used and converted into wastes, only to be disposed of, represent a failure in human ingenuity and a flaw in technology design. If we are to create a recycling society, we need to capture the wastes, render them safe and return them to productive resources again. Ecological sanitation is a system that does just that. It is a system that imitates healthy ecosystems found in nature. It contributes to environmental health and human well-being by reducing disease transmission and disposal of wastes, by recovering and recycling water and nutrients for increasing food security. It is far more feasible financially and ecologically than conventional approaches to sanitation by reducing external inputs into a closed-loop system and by reducing the export of outputs and wastes from the system. It creates decentralised economies, empowering people, providing for local livelihoods, and enhancing community cohesion. If coverage can be increased, ecological sanitation can serve as the missing link to sustainable urban development, reverse the unconscious pattern of linear thinking and actions, and be a technical solution that protects ecosystems and harmonises with natural systems.