What is this tool intended for?

The Toilet Resource Calculator is designed to provide stakeholders with a preliminary assessment of the potential volumes of reusable products that can be generated from a community’s toilet resources. It aims to demonstrate the economic, environmental, and social benefits of implementing circular sanitation systems, supporting the transition of sanitation management from cost-heavy operations to resource-generating opportunities.

How does this tool work?

The calculator works by requiring basic user inputs, including community population size, timeframe, and sanitation practices (water-based “wash” or paper-based “wipe” systems). Based on these inputs, the tool estimates the potential outputs for various reusable products, such as biogas for electricity and heat, biochar, compost, nutrient recovery (nitrogen, phosphate, potassium), and water. While the tool assesses one resource at a time, it allows for sequential calculations where multiple outputs can be estimated for technologies that generate more than one product.

Who might use this tool and with which types of stakeholders?

The Toilet Resource Calculator is intended for a wide range of stakeholders, including cities, governments, agricultural plantations, factories, and businesses. It is particularly relevant for sectors interested in integrating circular sanitation solutions into their operations, such as agricultural estates, manufacturing facilities, and mining communities. Entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers can also use the tool to assess and plan for sustainable sanitation systems.

What stages of a process can this tool support?

The calculator supports the early planning, feasibility analysis, and decision-making stages for implementing circular sanitation systems. It can be used to assess resource flows, calculate the quantity of recoverable resources, and compare the outputs of different sanitation technologies. The insights generated by the tool inform business case development, investment prioritization, and the selection of appropriate technologies and infrastructure.

What skills, capabilities and resources are required to use this tool?

The tool is designed to be user-friendly and does not require advanced technical skills. Users need basic community-specific data, such as population size and sanitation preferences (wipe or wash), as inputs. The calculator’s simplicity ensures accessibility for non-technical stakeholders, including plantation managers, city planners, and policymakers. Some familiarity with sanitation systems and circular economy concepts may enhance the tool's application.

Where can this tool be used?

The Toilet Resource Calculator is applicable across diverse geographical and operational settings, including urban and rural communities, agricultural plantations, manufacturing facilities, and resource-limited regions. Its design ensures flexibility for global use, particularly in contexts where circular sanitation initiatives are being explored or implemented.

Case examples of where this tool has been used

The Toilet Resource Calculator was used during a feasibility study conducted at the Hathikuli tea plantation in Assam, India. The study assessed the potential for implementing a circular sanitation system and estimated the outputs of various reusable products. Findings indicated that while electricity derived from toilet resources was socially acceptable for household use, compost, biogas, and water faced social taboos. Additionally, the calculator has been applied to estimate resource recovery potential for other tea plantations globally, highlighting opportunities to generate reusable products such as biogas, compost, and water.