Why it's time to talk about poo

The nutrients in human waste are drifting into our oceans and landfills instead of back into soils. But there are much better uses for human poo than flushing it down the drain

I am sitting on a bio-toilet in Finca Gaia, an organic farm nestled in the midst of the tropical forest of Puerto Rico.

To my left, through the loose bamboo sticks of my stall, I can see lush avocado trees and tall plantains. Above me, the birds are chirping. Underneath me, unlike most toilets I use, there are no pipes and no maze of underground sewers.

With a smooth seat, soft toilet paper and the air smelling of blooming tulip trees, this set-up isn't unlike my own New York City bathroom on the sensory level. But its inner workings are completely different from the typical Western loo. When I'm done, there's no lever to pull. Instead, I open a box full of woodchips, dig in with a scoop and sprinkle them over what I left inside the big bucket tucked underneath the seat.

Manuel Perez, whose family owns the farm, built this bio-toilet for two reasons. Firstly, running pipes underneath this area would destroy a chunk of the jungle – Finca Gaia spans over about 35 acres (14 hectares) of natural forest, far away from municipal sewage lines.

Secondly, Perez firmly believes that what we view as human waste is a perfect product to nourish his plants and should be returned to the land. Once the bucket fills up, he adds its contents to a composting pit together with dead leaves and other refuse, all of which will eventually become rich and fertile soil.

"We humans have a complete misunderstanding of human waste," he says. It's a great fertiliser, full of nutrients. "So why waste it, when I can use it to grow my fruit trees">window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'alternating-thumbnails-a', container: 'taboola-below-article', placement: 'Below Article', target_type: 'mix' });