Two environmentally friendly urinals have just been installed at the Gare de Lyon, in Paris' 12th arrondissement. The company Faltazi said it wanted to "civilise peeing" with this invention made from a urinal and a flower box.
It's called the "Uritrottoir", a portmanteau of the French words for urinal and sidewalk. The box gathering the urine contains dry materials, such as straw or wood chips, which will later be turned into compost to help flowers grow. The largest urinals can take up to 600 pees. When they are full, a signal is sent to a company which will come to replace the dry materials.
The system doesn't take too much space, helps stop the smell of urine and doesn't use any water. Each Uritrottoir cost around 500 to 600 euros.
After Paris, Nantes will get to try the Uritrottoir this spring. If the experience is conclusive, France's national railway company, the SNCF, will install some more in other train stations across the country.
L’Uritrottoir, l’urinoir sec des villes 3/6 from FALTAZI on Vimeo.
