# Circular Sanitation: How Human Waste Could Replace 25% of Global Fertiliser with Taylor Zehren

- Show: [Hardware to Save a Planet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet)
- Published: 2025-11-20
- Length: 43m
- Episode: 91
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2025-11-20-circular-sanitation-how-human-waste-could-replace-25-of-global-fertiliser-with-t
- Listen: https://podcasts.fame.so/e/x8y70958-waste-could-replace-25-of-global-fertiliser-with-taylor-zehren

## Summary

Taylor Zehren, co-founder and CEO of Wasted, explains how her company transforms portable sanitation into a circular economy by diverting urine from porta-potties to create fertilizer. She details the mechanical separation technology, such as conveyor toilets, and the treatment process that yields phosphorus and nitrogen products, replacing synthetic fertilizers. Zehren highlights the business model shift from disposal costs to revenue, the importance of source separation to avoid contaminants like PFAS, and the cultural education required to scale this technology into stadiums, homes, and communities.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2025-11-20-circular-sanitation-how-human-waste-could-replace-25-of-global-fertiliser-with-t#t=0) Introduction: Taylor Zehren and Wasted's Origin Story
- [3:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2025-11-20-circular-sanitation-how-human-waste-could-replace-25-of-global-fertiliser-with-t#t=183) From Do Good Shit to Wasted: Biomimicry and Source Separation
- [7:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2025-11-20-circular-sanitation-how-human-waste-could-replace-25-of-global-fertiliser-with-t#t=451) The Portable Sanitation Opportunity and Nutrient Recovery
- [11:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2025-11-20-circular-sanitation-how-human-waste-could-replace-25-of-global-fertiliser-with-t#t=705) Systemic Impact: Water Waste, Energy, and Fertilizer Replacement
- [19:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2025-11-20-circular-sanitation-how-human-waste-could-replace-25-of-global-fertiliser-with-t#t=1170) Technology Stack: Conveyor Toilets, Urinals, and Treatment Trains
- [25:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2025-11-20-circular-sanitation-how-human-waste-could-replace-25-of-global-fertiliser-with-t#t=1534) Education, Branding, and Changing Cultural Perceptions
- [29:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2025-11-20-circular-sanitation-how-human-waste-could-replace-25-of-global-fertiliser-with-t#t=1761) Business Model: Service Reliability, Cost Parity, and Revenue Streams
- [33:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2025-11-20-circular-sanitation-how-human-waste-could-replace-25-of-global-fertiliser-with-t#t=1996) Scaling Beyond Portables: Stadiums, Airports, and Home Integration

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Sustainability & circular products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sustainability-and-circularity)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Wasted (company)
- Do Good Shit (company)
- Rich Earth Institute (company)
- Conveyor Toilet (product)
- Wee Bloom (product)
- Braiding Sweetgrass (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Making garbage useful with Tom Szaky of TerraCycle](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-17-making-garbage-useful-with-tom-szaky-of-terracycle) (How I Built This)
- [This episode is trash](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-01-19-this-episode-is-trash) (Catalyst)
- [141 - Kieran White from Return Protocol formerly at Lasso Loop](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2022-07-07-141-kieran-white-from-return-protocol-formerly-at-lasso-loop) (People of Packaging)
- [Reclaiming food waste with Jasmine Crowe-Houston of Goodr (2022)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-09-14-reclaiming-food-waste-with-jasmine-crowe-houston-of-goodr-2022) (How I Built This)
- [HIBT Lab! Biobot Analytics: Mariana Matus and Newsha Ghaeli](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-09-hibt-lab-biobot-analytics-mariana-matus-and-newsha-ghaeli) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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