4% of campus urine could replace outside fertilizer in new rivalry event
Michigan and Michigan State universities are hosting a competition to collect biological waste for agricultural research before their football matchup.
By Alina Campbell ·
Nancy Love, a professor at the University of Michigan, calculated in 2017 that just 4% of the urine produced by campus staff and students could replace the fertilizer purchased from external vendors. That finding now anchors a new contest called The Piss Off, a friendly rivalry event scheduled for Saturday ahead of the football game between Michigan and Michigan State.
The event invites fans to visit yurts equipped with portable bathrooms on both campuses. These structures contain only urinals, meaning participants must stand to contribute to the collection effort. The University of Michigan encourages fans to contribute to the cause by using the facilities at the Ann Arbor Golf & Outing Course from noon until 8 p.m.
The biological waste will be used in research aimed at producing fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. This process, often referred to as peecycling, seeks to capture nutrients that are typically lost during standard sewage treatment. Stephen Gasteyer, an Associate Professor of Sociology at Michigan State, noted that current methods of handling urine consume significant energy and resources while discarding valuable nutrients.
Gasteyer explained that the initiative serves a dual purpose. The first goal is to gather the raw material needed to synthesize the fertilizer. The second goal is to educate the public on the agricultural value of natural bodily fluids. He stated that urine is currently restricted to watering food crops but is widely applied to horticultural plants, including lawns and flowerbeds.
"It will provide you with truly beautiful peonies in the front of your house," Gasteyer said. The collected material will support studies at the Kellogg Biological Station in Ross Township and the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor. The event relies on voluntary participation from fans attending the football game.
The universities cite the need to reduce reliance on energy-intensive processing methods. By capturing nutrients directly from urine, the research aims to demonstrate a more efficient method of recycling resources. The yurts are set up specifically to facilitate this collection, ensuring that the waste is separated from other sewage components.
Fans can find more details on the University of Michigan engineering college website. The competition runs alongside the football match, turning a traditional rivalry into a joint scientific effort. The data gathered will help researchers refine the process of converting human waste into a viable agricultural product.
