Converting urine into fertilizer: Amsterdam starts Green Urine campaign

Amsterdam water authorities have reportedly planned to collect urine and utilizing it for phosphate fertilizer. The campaign has been called 'Green Urine Campaign'. As collection site, the campaign uses outdoor urinals in Amsterdam's La Place de la Bourse. The tagline on the outdoor urinals reads: "Is our wastewater actually a goldmine?". Urine is then collected by the city's water company, Waternet.

The campaign also aims to raise awareness about the benefits of recycling urine, about waste reduction and about the prospect of using urine for agricultural use since it contains mineral phosphorus.

Urine can be used directly on plants when diluted with water, providing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. However, using human waste as fertilizer is considered a taboo in many parts of the world. Waternet hopes to process what it gleans into an upcycled fertilizer for public gardens and vegetated rooftops around the city. Farmers generally use mined phosphate to fertilize crops and to provide this vital nutrient. Since scientists believe that phosphate resources will run out in 50-100 years, converting urine into fertilizer rich in phosphate might produce a new revenue stream for Amsterdam and beyond.