Researchers at the University of British Columbia have created a mushroom-powered waterless toilet that turns human waste into compost using mycelia, the root network of mushrooms, in what users are calling a beautiful experience comparable to a Scandinavian sauna. The MycoToilet, housed in a small cedar-sided building dropped among the trees at UBC’s Botanical Garden for a six-week test, separates liquids from solids and uses a mycelium-lined compartment that lab tests show absorbs 90 percent of odor-causing compounds. The innovative design produces around 600 liters of soil and 2,000 liters of liquid fertilizer annually while requiring only four maintenance visits per year, completely eliminating the smell typically associated with composting toilets. Researchers discovered that the breathable mycelium liner reduces odor while removing residual moisture, limiting anaerobic conditions and creating favorable environments for aerobic decomposition, mimicking how tree roots use certain fungi to absorb nutrients and protect against pathogens.
Professor Joseph Dahmen, the project lead, explained they wanted to recontextualize an activity people take for granted and prove that waste-separating toilets don’t have to be a sacrifice to use but can connect us to natural ecologies through beautiful design. The structure features prefabricated timber panels, a skylight above, a green roof supporting local plants, and a low-power fan for air circulation, creating an experience so pleasant that one user compared it to visiting a Scandinavian sauna. Professor Steven Hallam emphasized that everyone using the toilet engages in citizen science as researchers evaluate the mushroom liner’s performance using analytical and DNA barcoding methods to understand pathogen loading and circulation patterns. The team hopes the entire liner can eventually be converted to usable compost supporting local plant life, while also addressing the global sanitation crisis where 3.4 billion people still lack safely managed sanitation, with plans to deploy these toilets in lower-income countries to meet critical needs.
