Bill backs one out at Reinventing the Toilet fair
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Bill Gates weighs evaluates the Toronto Toilet at the Reinvent the Toilet fair in Seattle
The winning Caltech toilet
The winning Caltech toilet breaks down water and human waste material into fertilizer and hydrogen gas
The winning Caltech design can be used with a western-style toilet, water-free urinal and squat toilet
The “Diversion” squatting toilet from Eawag
Bill Gates presents the first prize award to Michael Hoffmann from the California Institute of Technology
The University of Toronto’s toilet design (Photo: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation/Michael Hanson)
Loughborough University's toilet design (Photo: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation/Michael Hanson)
The “Diversion” squatting toilet from eawag (Photo: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation/Michael Hanson)
Article Summary
In an effort to improve conditions for the more than 2.5 billion people worldwide with no access to safe sanitation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation last year awarded grants totaling US$3 million to eight universities to reinvent the toilet. At the two-day “Reinventing the Toilet” fair held in Seattle this week, where Bill Gates was on hand with 50 gallons (189 l) of fake feces made from soybeans and rice to put the various designs through their paces, a California Institute of Technology (Caltech) team claimed first place for their solar-powered toilet.
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