For homemade fertilizer, chamber pot meets watering can

Farmers around the globe are expected to use more than 170 million tonnes of fertilizer this year, according to a recent report from the International Fertilizer Industry Association, spending untold sums in the process. Swedish startup Guldkannan AB, however, believes the best fertilizer in the world is completely natural and free. That’s because it’s based on none other than human urine, an ancient gardening aid that’s remarkably similar in composition to many fertilizers. Now, Guldkannan sells a device to help gardeners around the world put the nitrogen-rich power of urine to work in their gardens. Part chamber pot and part watering can, the patented Guldkannan Towa is ergonomically designed to be comfortable to sit on, and can accommodate up to 150 kilos. Capable of holding as much as 10 litres of “liquid gold,” it seals tightly to keep the urine’s nitrogen as well as odours contained inside. Gardeners need only dilute the resulting urine with water and apply to their soil for yields as much as seven times higher than would be achieved without fertilizer, Guldkannan says. The durable plastic Towa is available within Europe for SEK 595 including Swedish VAT, postage and handling. Home-garden retailers around the globe: a functionall innovation to bring to your eco-minded consumers? (Related: Single-use toilet bag turns human waste into fertilizer — Garbage into gold, via worm poop.) Spotted by: Charlotte Warding