Bill Gates has spotted a problem with the way our flushable toilets work and the lack of them for nearly 2.6 billion people around the globe, and he’s looking to change this in the coming years. The “Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation” hosted the “Reinvent the Toilet Fair” this week, where researchers from across the globe gathered to revolutionize the loo.

Gates actually took on the task of developing a new toilet a year ago, telling the Times of India that he was moved by cases like in their country where 1.5 million children die each year from severe diarrhea caused by poor sanitation. Countries like India lack the kind of toilets that more affluent countries take advantage of.

“Finding a new toilet design that is as good as the flush toilet should be possible. It does not exist now. That’s why we have been putting in money asking people to design a new toilet.”

All Things Digital explained in an article that “The toilets have to be hygienic and sustainable, discharge no pollutants, generate energy, recover nutrients and only need a tiny amount of water. Oh yeah, and they also need to have a cost of operation of a nickel per person per day.”

So far Gates’ foundation has awarded $400,000 in grants to eight universities aiding in research. So far, they’ve come up with ideas for converting the waste into fertilization, fuel and power sources. Read More