Bill Gates Funds Recycling Innovations For Waste Water And Green Energy

Bill Gates is one of the richest men in the world, and he’s no stranger to using his money to fund noble causes. One of his most recent endeavors is funding a machine called the OmniProcessor, which turns human waste into drinking water, pathogen-free ash, and green energy.

How The OmniProcessor Works

The relatively small device (small by industrial standards) starts with a feed of sewer sludge. This sludge is put on a conveyor belt and poured into a drum where it’s boiled. This dries the sludge and separates the solids from water vapor. The solids are then fed into a fire and burned. The heat creates steam, and the steam is used to power an engine that creates electricity. Safe, disease-free ash comes out the other end, and that ash can be used to fertilize crops, as clean fill, or for dozens of other tasks. The water vapor is scrubbed and cleaned, and cooled until it comes out as pure drinking water.

Watch a video of the process right here.

What Makes The OmniProcessor Different?

There are a lot of devices that turn human waste into green energy, but the OmniProcessor is different in that it’s designed to be used in developing countries. That means it uses simple technology, and once it gets up and running the steam engine powers the device (making it self-sustaining). From the perspective of governments and towns, the device is an ideal solution. It takes in a waste that the community is going to produce, and it turns it into clean water, electricity, and ash, all of which can be used by locals.

Will It Catch On?

The OmniProcessor exists, and among all the recycling innovations out there it has been firmly and repeatedly tested for results. The question of whether or not it will become the new standard for developing communities looking to turn a hazard into a fuel has not yet been answered though. Only time will tell for certain regarding this device… but Mr. Gates is not in the habit of making investments that don’t go anywhere. Especially when they’re successful.