In many developing urban areas, there is a lack of sewer and water distribution networks due to the prohibitively high costs associated with sewer infrastructure. Water, a much needed resource to propel sewage flow, is often scarce and costly. Consequently, the realization of sewer systems on a widespread scale appears unlikely to become feasible in much of the world.
Pit latrines serve as the primary sanitation option in many urban sub-Saharan African regions. However, the removal and disposal of faecal sludge from these pits, consisting of both liquid and solid waste, can be expensive, especially when transportation to legal disposal sites over long distances is required.
The emptying and disposal of faecal waste in densely populated urban areas of developing countries are not only costly due to the laborious process and the predominantly liquid-solid waste mixture, but also pose significant health and environmental risks.
An alternative approach to citywide sewer-based sanitation is imperative, yet no scalable solution currently exists. While pit latrines are widespread, they are unsafe and environmentally unsound. Additionally, as household incomes rise, there is a growing demand for alternative sanitation solutions, but effective, affordable, and scalable options remain elusive.
Between 2019 – 2022, Opero Services partnered with Factor E to test the Honey Dipper. This work involved lab & field testing of the prototype and research to determine the market potential of the product.
The Honey Dipper is a low-cost waterless toilet that incrementally dehydrates and treats waste on-site eliminating the need for transportation and downstream treatment infrastructure.
The innovation works similar to a conveyor belt through a continuous loop rotating around the drive and idler pulleys. The pulleys drive a belt that picks fecal sludge from a container or pit which then incrementally dries as the belt moves. The amount of dried faecal sludge collected is based on the weather conditions which is then scraped off & collected in a container. The pilot tests revealed that the system can handle waste from at least 5 users per day.
Studies on the business opportunity showed that like most sanitation products, the Honey Dipper has an enormous market opportunity in 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa
Ultimately, a key finding from the project was that product performance potential will determine market entry routes and attainable markets. Therefore, ongoing rapid prototyping and testing endeavors are underway to refine the product and streamline its introduction to the market.
