In many parts of the world, clean drinking water, food, and sanitary facilities are not a given. Using space travel technology developed by the European Space Agency, the Semilla Sanitation Hub is now able to provide all three. After testing its urine filtration method at the 2018 edition of the Eurosonic Noorderslag festival, running a wastewater filtration test at DGTL and accelerating the process at the Into The Great Wide Open festival by teaming up with Nijhuis Industries, Semilla Sanitation ultimately completed the testing process at Eurosonic Noorderslag by also filtering blackwater. Semilla Sanitation developed plans with Care Kenya to roll out the filtration technology in Kenya. The four pilots furthermore opened up a new market for Semilla Sanitation, as various festivals turned out to be open to making their sanitary facilities more sustainable. Semilla Sanitation’s CEO, Peter Scheer, also set up a water saving project in partnership with the organizers of the Zwarte Cross festival, reusing shower wastewater to flush the toilets.

Previously, only the contents of regular urinals were used for this purpose to convert it into clean water and fertilizers but Semilla Sanitations tested their new inclusive design at DGTL festival 2024 that now allows for the utilization of urine from individuals without a penis. “We want to know if visitors will use it, if it’s comfortable for them and what would be the reason to go on the unisex instead of on the Dixi. We hope that toilet renting companies will have more implement unisex urinals”, Peter, founder of Semilla Sanitation says.

During the Oerol Festival, Semilla conducted another test with their urinal. The name “unisex urinal” causes confusion among visitors; the emphasis is too much on the unisex aspect instead of on the reuse of urine. “We are not a toilet rental company, but a party that converts urine into plant fertilizer. We want to focus on that and not on the rental.” According to Peter Scheer of Semilla. Some people are reluctant to use the urinal, they are afraid of peeing on themselves or they prefer to sit comfortably. To alleviate these concerns, Semilla is now considering developing a seated toilet.