The Uritrottoir
An eco solution to public peeing
It may be better known as the city of light and of love, but Paris is also – and all too often – the city of pee, and consequently of pong. But the French capital has a new weapon in its longstanding battle against les pipis sauvages, or wild peeing. The Uritrottoir, a large box with an opening at the front topped with an attractive floral display, has the added bonus of making public peeing not just more civilised, but eco-friendly. The miniature garden sits on top of a closed bin containing dry straw, sawdust or wood chips that – after the passing of time and water – is collected and then transformed into compost to be used in parks and gardens.Equally importantly, the organic material has a high carbon content, dramatically reducing the smell. “We’re making compost, a fertiliser, so it’s a circular economy. We’re re-using two waste products, straw and urine, to make something that makes plants grow,” said Laurent Lebot, designer of the Uritrottoir with his colleague Victor Massip