Connect with us

Engineering, Art & Tech

Guide to Sanitation Resource Recovery Products & Technologies

Published

on

The world is currently undergoing a paradigm shift towards a circular society in which resources are recovered and reused rather than discarded. The global population has surpassed seven billion people, and rapid urbanisation in many areas is putting a significant strain on our ability to provide basic services to all. The Sustainable Development Goals highlight the fact that millions still lack access to food, healthcare, water and sanitation. At the same time, it is increasingly evident that we are consuming the Earth’s resources and releasing waste into the environment in an unsustainable manner. The resulting effects on climate change, biodiversity loss and changing nutrient cycles threaten to over-step critical planetary boundaries. Crossing these boundaries has the potential to cause irreversible environmental change and to threaten the ability of humanity to develop and thrive. Sanitation systems manage carbon, nutrient and water flows, which are key resource flows that affect the planetary boundaries and thus should be recovered and recirculated instead of being released into the environment. Increasing resource recovery within our sanitation systems can play a critical role in shifting to a more sustainable society.

There are significant resources within excreta and wastewater fractions that can be recovered and turned into useful products. For example, the average person excretes 4.5 kg of nitrogen, 0.5 kg of phosphorus and 1.2 kg of potassium every year. These elements and other micronutrients found in excreta are critical for the fertilising and restoration of agricultural soils. The energy value of faeces is on average 4 115 kcal/kg of dry solids. This energy can be utilised as a renewable energy source. On top of this, there are large volumes of wastewater that can be captured, cleaned and reused. However, human excreta and wastewater contain pathogens and other undesired substances, risks that need to be managed in a reuse system. The growing demand for recycling needs to be complemented with a growing knowledge of how to do it safely.

The aim of this document is to provide an overview of the possibilities for resource recovery from sanitation and provide guidance on treatment processes to achieve safe products for reuse. The focus of this document is on resource recovery from the organic wastes managed in sanitation systems and, to a lesser extent, on the recovery of water and energy generation. Resource recovery sanitation systems are defined as systems that safely recycle excreta and organic waste while minimising the use of non-renewable resources such as water and chemicals. Safe recycling means that waste flows are managed so that physical, microbial and chemical risks are minimised. Thus, the recycled product should not pose any significant health threat or environmental impact when correctly used.

The specific objectives of this document are:

  1. To expose the user to a broad range of recovered sanitation products and innovative treatment technologies.
  2. To help the user to design functional solutions for resource recovery by illustrating the linkages between sanitation inputs, treatment technology and the recoverable products.
  3. To provide an overview of basic information regarding design aspects, operational requirements and health, safety and social considerations related to resource recovery technologies and products.
  4. Describe and fairly present technology-specific advantages and disadvantages.

Please see Downloads for full Text Book

Mark Wamai

Engineering, Art & Tech

Summer School Series 2025–2027

Published

on

Alex Isemaghendera

Continue Reading

Engineering, Art & Tech

CEDAT embarks on revolutionizing Teaching, Research, and Innovation to Meet Societal Needs

Published

on

The College of engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) embarked on the process for reviewing the ways of teaching and learning, research and innovation in order to produce graduates that are well shaped to meet the needs of the society.A two-day strategy workshop was convened from 14th to 15th April 2025 at Imperial Resort Beach Hotel in Entebbe, bringing together academia and others stakeholders, under the Theme; ‘Advancing Education, Research, Innovation for a transformative Future in Engineering, Design, Art and technology’.

The engagement was aimed at advancing the institution’s leadership, management practices, and its core academic functions and discussed strategies for driving excellence and preparing graduates for the job market.  It centered on three main objectives: promoting a better understanding of the roles of Academic Leaders and Administrative Heads in carrying out the University’s core functions, enhancing college management through effective customer care, communication, and documentation practices, and advancing teaching, research, and innovation to produce job-ready graduates.

Click here for details

Alex Isemaghendera

Continue Reading

Engineering, Art & Tech

Industry Academia Exchange: Strengthening Collaboration for Skills Development and Innovation

Published

on

Realizing a gap between the Academia and Industry, the School of Engineering hosted a workshop on 16th, April 2025 aimed at strengthening the collaboration for Skills Development and Innovation to ensure that the engineering graduates have the relevant skills needed for the labor market and can contribute effectively to national development.

The workshop was officially opened by the Dean, School of Engineering Dr. Dorothy Okello who emphasized improving the relationship between the academia and industry by having continuous engagement and regularly inviting industry representatives to contribute to the curriculum. She proposed this engagement to be happening every two to three years, with a focus on regular discussions to enhance opportunities and align more closely with market needs aiming on collaboratively increasing productivity and improve the ultimate development for the involved parties.

Click here for details

Alex Isemaghendera

Continue Reading

Trending