A wheelie bin [household waste container on wheels] has been adapted into a public toilet in a bid to stop people urinating on south London streets.
People can urinate into a funnel inside the bin which transfers the liquid into its base, where it is converted into bio-fertiliser.
Swiss designer Stephan Bischof tested the bin in New Cross and Honour Oak.
He said: “It wouldn’t be better than a proper public toilet but because there are so many (wheelie bins) close it is like an emergency solution.”
Mr Bischof invented the wheelie bin urinal as part of a series of designs to tackle antisocial or illegal behaviour.
‘Weird solution’
The bin’s removable base contains either garden waste or dry grass, which absorbs the urine to create bio-fertiliser.
“It’s a bit of a weird solution,” said Mr Bischof.
“My intentions were not to destroy the primary functions of the wheelie bin so therefore it can still be used as a bin.”
Mr Bischof is seeking funding to further develop his prototype.
His other designs include a traffic sign with a birdhouse inside it and musical speed humps.
A spokesman for Lambeth Council said it was “too early” to say whether the council would consider adopting the wheelie bin urinals.
Source: BBC, 05 Jan 2010 (includes BBC news video)
