Ecological sanitation - an ecosystem approach
The new approach is called Ecological Sanitation. It represents a shift in the way people think
about and act upon human excreta. Ecological sanitation is a system that is intelligently
designed and constructed to mimic nature at every step. The new paradigm is an ecosystem
approach (Figure 2), a move away from a linear to a circular flow of nutrients - towards a
recycling society. Nutrients and organic matter in human excreta are considered a resource,
food for a healthy ecology of beneficial soil organisms that eventually produce food or other
benefits for people. The new approach recognises the need and benefit of protecting
environmental health and promoting human well-being, recovering and recycling nutrients, and
conserving and protecting natural resources. It represents a closed-loop approach to nutrients
and water problems. Its defining features - it's safe, it's green and it's valuable - are a major shift
from conventional sanitary solutions.