FACT SHEET

A pilot project in Bind Block, Bihar, India, demonstrated that treated human urine is a safe and effective substitute for commercial NPK fertilizers, providing similar or better crop yields for vegetables and fruits. By framing urine as a valuable resource rather than waste, the project overcame social stigmas associated with excreta handling and showed that families could save approximately 4,000 rupees annually. The initiative included the installation of urinals in schools and administrative offices, supported by field trials and laboratory analysis in Patna.

• Treated human urine is a highly effective agricultural fertilizer containing approximately 90% of the nitrogen, 73% of the potassium, and 65% of the phosphorus found in human excreta. The annual urine production of one person is sufficient to fertilize between 300-400 m2 of crops.
• Agricultural field trials in Bind Block demonstrated that treated urine provides crop yields similar to or better than commercial NPK chemical fertilizers for various crops, including cabbage, aubergine, chillies, tomato, and okra. Observers noted that urine-fertilized products had a longer shelf-life and tasted and looked better.
• The use of urine as a fertilizer offers significant economic advantages for subsistence farmers, including a potential annual saving of approximately 4,000 rupees (about US$72) per family by replacing commercial fertilizers. Additionally, urine possesses insecticidal properties that may provide further economic benefits.
• To overcome social barriers and attitudinal resistance toward handling excreta—historically associated with low-caste Dalits—the project recast urine as a valuable economic resource. This strategy successfully encouraged the adoption of urine harvesting in surrounding communities and highlighted the need for sanitation in Nalanda.
• The pilot project implemented infrastructure in Bind Block, including six urinals at a secondary school (three for boys and three for girls) and additional facilities at the Bind Block administrative offices. To ensure safety according to WHO guidelines, 500-litre collection tanks were used to store urine for at least one month before application.
• The project identified that long-term sustainability of urine harvesting depends on addressing logistical challenges, specifically the manpower and fuel required for the transportation of urine from collection points to fields.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2014). FACT SHEET. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fs-2014-biharecosan-bind.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. FACT SHEET. 2014. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fs-2014-biharecosan-bind.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=FACT SHEET |date=2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fs-2014-biharecosan-bind.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2014fact, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{FACT SHEET}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fs-2014-biharecosan-bind.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }