A Hong Kong ‘eco-friendly’ toilet system aims to reduce greenhouse gas formation with natural sanitation

Dehtlet Eco-system treats human waste without water or chemicals and turns it into fertiliser, eliminating greenhouse gases formed in traditional processing

The team has deployed 10 models in Hong Kong and 10 in Yunnan province, as it seeks to bring environmental disclosure practices in line with mainland rules

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The Dehtlet Eco-system is a sanitation solution that does not use water or chemicals and turns human waste into fertiliser for farming. Photo: Handout

Published: 12:15pm, 10 Jul 2022Updated: 3:38pm, 10 Jul 2022

A Hong Kong-based “eco-friendly” toilet system provider has developed a natural sanitation solution that prevents the formation of a potent greenhouse gas from human waste.

Dehtlet Eco-system, which was set up in 2019, uses a patented sanitation solution without using water or chemicals that can turn human waste into fertiliser.

Dehtlet, which stands for dehydration toilet, uses wind, solar heat and gravity to separate solid waste and urine, managing director Lian Chan said in an interview. The toilet’s ventilation system uses natural airflow to dehydrate human waste and evaporate urine, a process that also drives away the odour, according to Chan.

After fermentation, the remaining faeces and urine can then be reused as fertiliser in fields for farming. Dehtlet’s process does not result in the emission of any greenhouse gases such as methane, which is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide, Chan said.

This system is designed to be cleaner than other forms of waste disposal. In rural villages, Chan said it is common for human waste to be flushed into a septic tank and stored for long periods of time, where a chemical reaction in the enclosed space causes methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases to be released. It is eventually removed when a suction truck takes it away for treatment.