From Loo to Lager: How Festival Pee is Brewing a Greener Beer Future
Share On
Now, I’ve seen some wild things at festivals—people crowd-surfing in inflatable dinghies, glitter in places glitter should never be—but this one takes the biscuit… or should I say, the beer?
Festival-goers across Europe are about to find out their trip to the Portaloo might be a little more meaningful this summer. Because that wee you’re politely queuing to dispose of? It’s not just vanishing into the abyss of chemical blue. Oh no—it’s being collected, powdered, and turned into something surprisingly delicious: eco-friendly beer
Yep, you heard me right. Scientists in Sweden are working on a genius little scheme that transforms thousands of litres of human urine into fertiliser for growing barley—the key ingredient in your favourite pint. Suddenly, that “emergency wee” under the disco lights has a whole new purpose.
Let’s rewind. On April 29, during Sweden’s Walpurgis Day celebrations (basically their version of a springtime knees-up), ten sunshine-yellow Portaloos were parked up in Ekonomikum Park in Uppsala. But these weren’t your average festival bogs. Designed by sanitation company Sanitation360, they were kitted out to separate pee from poo—using a net over the loo seat to make sure only liquid gold made it through.
– A Festival portaloo. (Jam Press/Sanitation360)
Björn, a professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Nicola Parfitt, the project manager at Sanitation360. (Jam Press/Sanitation360)
Why? Because Swedish scientist Björn Vinnerås and Sanitation360 project manager Nicola Parfitt are on a mission to collect 20,000 litres of urine this summer (twice as much as last year!) and dry it into a powdery fertiliser. That fertiliser then helps grow the barley that gets brewed into actual, drinkable beer. Liquid to lager, if you will.
The idea behind this isn’t just to gross us out—it’s seriously smart science. Artificial fertilisers, which are normally used to grow crops, can pollute rivers, damage soil, and even strip beer ingredients like hops and barley of their natural flavour. But good ol’ fashioned human wee? It’s packed with nutrients and much less harmful to the planet.
The project has already teamed up with local breweries on Gotland Island (yes, beer made from your very own wee might soon be on shelves). And it’s not even the first time this idea’s been tried—Belgian brewery Brasserie du Borinage has also dabbled in what they’re calling “Urine Beer.”
Look, I get it—no one wants to think about where their pint came from while they’re clinking glasses. But in a world where sustainability is key, this is the kind of innovative, circular thinking we need.
So next time you’re at a festival and you find yourself in a loo queue, just remember: you might be helping to save the planet one tinkle at a time. And who knows—your next pint might be partly thanks to your last!
Cheers to that!
