A socially engaged art piece
The Not-In-My-BackYard toilet is an educative experiment by Henriëtte Waal that invites people to reflect more on their habits and to cooperate for a better outcome. The NIMBY toilet is meant to be used by a community in order to support the self-sufficiency of vegetable gardens through urine fermentation. It was designed for the BIO 50 exhibition. From the Onkraj Gradbišča garden (Ljubljana) it moved to the Dijkspark (Amsterdam) in November 2015: given its bright yellow it is almost impossible not to spot it in our garden. Moreover, the colour - that of Slovenian plywood - fits its use.
Fermenting urine
How can you contribute? You simply have to pee. The NIMBY toilet works without water. It collects urine in different containers. Put in some lacto-acid bacteria, take out the oxygen and there you go: the fermentation process is ready to begin. After four weeks (with warm weather around 15°C), all pathogens are eliminated and the urine is ready to be used to water the soil and fertilise the plants. Would you contribute?
Not In My BackYard
The name ironically alludes to the fact that no-one wants a public toilet close to their house. This is understandable. Yet, toilets can prove beneficial for the environment when mindfully constructed and used. Think of the NIMBY toilet: it helps produce rich, flourishing plants and healthier food. It also reduces the consumption of water together with the waste of valuable nutrients that are present in our bodily fluids. Urine, in particular, contains urea, sodium, potassium, phosphate, sulphate, creatine and uric acid.
Information
NIMBY toilet, by Henriëtte Waal
Currently in our garden, but closed. It will be open soon 24hrs a day, 7 days a week
Location: Mediamatic Biotoop, Dijkspark 6, Amsterdam
