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[[File:Ecosan closing the loop poster by CREPA.jpg|thumb|Ecosan closing the loop poster (in French), by the NGO CREPA in 2005, UDDTs are used in this example]]
The statement in the definition of ecosan to ‘safely"safely recycle’recycle" includes hygienic, microbial and chemical aspects. Thus, the recycled human excreta product, in solid or liquid form, shall be of high quality both concerning pathogens and all kind of hazardous chemical components. The statement ‘use"use of non-renewable resources is minimised’minimised" means that the gain in resources by recycling shall be larger than the cost of resources by recycling.
Ecological sanitation (Ecosan) is based on an overall view of material flows as part of an ecologically and economically sustainable wastewater management system tailored to the needs of the users and to the respective local conditions. It does not favour a specific sanitation technology, but is rather a newcertain philosophy in handling substances that have so far been seen simply as wastewater and water-carried waste for disposal.<ref name=":2" />
Right from the start, the first proponents of ecosan systems had a strong focus on increasing agricultural productivity (via the excreta-based fertilisers) and thus improving the nutritional status of the people at the same time as providing them with safe sanitation for them<ref>Esrey, S., Andersson, I., Hillers, A., Sawyer, R. (2001). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/788 Closing the Loop - Ecological sanitation for food security]. Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, 2000.</ref>. Disease reduction was meant to be achieved not only by reducing faecally transmitted infections but also by reducing malnutrition, particularly in children. This link between [[WASH]], nutrition and a disease called environmental enteropathy (or tropical [[enteropathy]])<ref>Humphrey, J. H. (2009). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/1792 Child undernutrition, tropical enteropathy, toilets, and handwashing]. The Lancet, Volume 374, Issue 9694, pages 1032 - 1035</ref> as well as stunting (or [[stunted growth]]) of children is still very relevant to this day and has recently risen to the top of the agenda of the [[WASH]] sector.
Another aspect that ecosan systems are trying to address is to prepare ourselves for an upcoming shortage of phosphorus which is a limited resource and is needed in fertiliser production<ref>Schröder, J., Cordell, D., Smit, A., Rosemarin, A. (2010). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/1587 Sustainable use of phosphorus]. Plant Research International, Wageningen, The Netherlands</ref>. Phosphorus is a limited mineral resource that has an important role in fertiliser production and wherefor "peakplant production"growth mightbut haveis beena reachedlimited alreadymineral resource<ref>Soil Association (2010). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/1591 A rock and hard place - Peak phosphorus and the threat to our food security]. Soil Association, Bristol, UK</ref>. The situation is similar for potassium. Known mineral phosphate rock reserves, in particular, are becoming scarce and increasingly costly to extract - this is also called the "[[peak phosphorus]]" crisis. One day, recycling of excreta will be required to meet future demands, and ecosan systems can play an important contribution for this.
== History ==
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