Background and context

Santa Catarina Palopó, a town situated near Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, serves as the primary location for Mosan’s operations. This area was chosen due to the high contamination risks the lake faces from unfiltered wastewater, agricultural runoff, and garbage. Lake Atitlán, a vital resource for the local population, suffers from significant environmental challenges due to inadequate sanitation infrastructure in surrounding communities. Mosan’s work addresses these challenges by focusing on human excreta as the resource stream, targeting urine and faeces. The lack of appropriate sanitation systems in low-income settings underscores the urgent need for innovative and sustainable solutions.

Approach

Mosan employs a comprehensive approach to sanitation by integrating cutting-edge technologies, strong community involvement, and efficient service delivery. Central to their solution is the Mosan Toilet, an innovative urine-diverting dry toilet that is user-friendly, durable, and designed to meet high technical and aesthetic standards. Alongside this, Mosan has implemented transformation processes, including biochar production through pyrolysis and struvite recovery from urine. Stakeholder collaboration is key to the success of their approach, involving international partners like GIZ, MIT d.lab, and Oxfam, alongside local communities. Implementation of the system began with participatory design of the Mosan Toilet, followed by pilot projects in Kenya and Guatemala, and the establishment of collection, transport, and processing systems for human excreta. Mosan's transformation facilities turn waste into valuable agricultural products, completing the cycle of resource recovery.

Outcomes and impacts

The Mosan system has achieved notable environmental, social, and economic outcomes. It has significantly reduced environmental contamination in the Lake Atitlán region by safely containing and treating human waste. The recovered products, biochar and struvite, have enhanced agricultural productivity, benefiting farmers and reducing dependency on synthetic fertilizers. Beyond the quantifiable metrics, Mosan’s work has improved health and hygiene standards within communities, empowering residents through participatory design processes and contributing to climate change mitigation efforts. The production of biochar supports carbon sequestration while the system avoids methane emissions commonly associated with traditional sanitation systems like pit latrines and septic tanks.

Lessons learned

Mosan’s experience highlights the importance of participatory design in ensuring cultural sensitivity and community buy-in for sanitation initiatives. By integrating mobile technologies for efficient service delivery and designing high-quality, user-friendly toilets, they have increased adoption and satisfaction among users. However, achieving financial sustainability in low-income settings remains a challenge, as does enhancing nitrogen retention in struvite production. Despite these hurdles, Mosan has demonstrated the scalability of its approach through social franchising and the potential for expanded adoption in other resource-limited areas. Partnerships and alternative revenue streams, such as carbon credits, are essential for future growth and sustainability.