At Sanivation, we believe that all people have a right to affordable energy. That’s why we created an alternative energy product made exclusively from waste.

Working with the Centers for Disease Control and Emory University, we developed a method to process and treat human feces to make it safe for reuse. Now, with the help of local organizations in Naivasha, Kenya, we have transformed human and agricultural waste into affordable charcoal briquettes.

The Energy Crisis

For millions of people in developing nations, charcoal means more than a 4th of July barbeque or a day of grilling with friends. It represents the only fuel they can afford. But charcoal is costly, in more ways than one.

• Expensive – Local families spend ~30% of their income on cooking fuel, and only earn $7 a day
• Respiratory infections – The leading cause of death for children under five, and caused largely by poor cooking fuels
• Deforestation – The charcoal industry has caused massive deforestation, leaving Kenya with only 5% forest cover

Safe, Affordable Energy

Is a sanitation company we have unlimited access to an untapped resource – treated human poo – and we use it to make safe, affordable energy. Because our briquettes come from waste products, we can sell them at 60% the price of traditional charcoal, which saves families money. When a family uses our briquettes for a full year, they save enough to pay for school fees or buy a new roof for the rainy season.

Our briquettes have lower carbon monoxide emissions and no smoke! This protects children’s lungs, and allows families to cook inside without inhaling toxic fumes.

Unlike traditional charcoal, no trees are killed in the making of our briquettes. In fact, we save 88 trees for every ton we sell.

The Process

1. We collect waste bi-weekly from the household toilets we service.
2. We treat the feces with our awesome solar concentrator.
3. We mix the treated feces with charcoal dust, made from agricultural waste (which would have otherwise been burned in a field).
4. We press the mixture into perfect pillow shapes, ideal for cooking!

We Need Your Help! So get to poopin’!