Towards a recycling society: ecological sanitation--closing the loop to food security

A recycling society must switch from linear solutions to circular approaches, protecting ecosystems and harmonising with natural systems. Ecological sanitation, an alternative to conventional approaches, considers excreta a resource. Excreta are rendered safe at the source prior to reuse. The ecosystem approach helps restore soil fertility, and ultimately enhances food security. It is a system requiring little or no water; thus it conserves and protects fresh and marine water sources, enhances biodiversity, and it may confer multiple benefits in urban settings. It can generate jobs, be financially more affordable than conventional approaches, improve local ecology, create decentralised economies, and contribute toward improved health and nutrition of people. Ecological sanitation closes water and nutrient loops, reducing reliance on external inputs and reducing output of wastes from the system.