Scientists behind a pioneering project to turn human wee into plant fertiliser are hoping to grow their first forest.
Bristol-based start-up NPK Recovery collects urine from portable toilets during festivals and events, transforming it into fertiliser to help grass grow back on the fields afterwards.
Now, as part of a UK-first Forestry Commission-backed trial, the team plans to grow thousands of native British trees for a new woodland in Monmouthshire, south Wales.
It comes as fertiliser prices have soared due to the war in Iran, putting pressure on farmers and growers.
The team plan to grow thousands of native British trees such as beech and Scots pine
Based out of the University of the West of England (UWE), in recent years the team has been collecting urine at events like the London Marathon and Boomtown Festival.
They use the nitrogen and other nutrients in wee to produce fertiliser on site, easing the burden on sewage systems as the events run and reducing chemical use.
The product – which, you may be surprised to read, doesn’t smell – has already been used to grow grass and crops, with field trials suggesting it can be as effective as synthetic fertiliser.
But this will be the first time it has been used on trees, as part of a three-year project funded by a £435,627 Forestry Commission grant to support innovation in the sector.
The company has partnered with Welsh charity Stump up for Trees and its tree nursery on the outskirts of Abergavenny.
The plan is to use the fertiliser to help grow 4,500 native British trees – such as beech and Scots pine – to be planted in Bannau Brycheiniog national park, also known as the Brecon Beacons.
Lucy Bell-Reeves, NPK Recovery’s co-founder, said using a waste product to grow trees was “a circular solution that can revitalise our struggling native species.”
Pests, pathogens and invasive species have decimated native tree populations, she explained – pointing to Woodland Trust data suggesting just 7% of Britain’s native woodlands are in good condition.
