PIESSKANNE
»Pießkanne« is a speculative object and app that turns urine into fertilizer by enabling its collection and reuse in local nutrient cycles.
Max Popp
»Pießkanne« addresses a challenge in the nutrient cycle that arises as a side effect of modern agriculture and sanitation infrastructure. Put simply, we no longer relieve ourselves within the ecosystems that provide our food, thereby disrupting the natural nutrient cycle.
The term »sanitation transition« already encompasses various approaches to this issue, many of them on an industrial scale; however, the mixing of urine with feces and other wastewater remains a major obstacle. »Pießkanne« offers a playful reinterpretation of the Western urination ritual, placing the resource value of urine front and center.
It consists of a speculative ritual combining a physical object and a companion app: the object merges the functions of a watering can and a seated urinal, enabling the collection, dilution, temporary storage, and targeted application of urine.
The app provides information on nutrient content, assists in calculating fertilization amounts, and playfully encourages users to return as much urine as possible to the local ecosystem, replacing industrial and fossil-based fertilizers.