Divide is a business infrastructure aimed at tackling the rising mortallity rate in India due to disease and sickness. Statistics show that 2.5 billion people in the world are defeceting in both unclean and unsafe outside environments, the majority of which can be seen in India; so, how can this waste be repurposed? Divide will donate a toilet to each household so that it can collect and harness waste fuel energy for free. By doing this Divide will effectively reduce mortality rates, improve user quality of life and generate clean, cheap and affordable energy for the surrounding areas.
The transport system designed for Divide is ment to seemlessly integrate with the Dabbawalla delivery system in India. By mimicing this 'Pick up, drop off' system, Divide could realistically see 98% effeciency of the collection and delivery of waste daily. Each Dabbawalla could carry 30 containers to and from the energy plant, completely eliminating the need for a highly expensive sewer system. Clean replacement containers would be returned to the user on the same day.
*A Dabbawalla is a person in India, who is a part of a delivery system that collects hot food in lunch boxes from the residences of workers in the late morning, delivers the lunches to the workplace utilizing various modes of transport, predominantly bicycles and the railway trains, and returns the empty boxes to the customer's residence that afternoon.
Divide is split into four sections; the top, middle support, left and right containers and the mechanism. Each part plays an important role to insure a pleasant and safe experience for the user.
The top section consists of two holes for feces, a handle and a space for the users feet. The entire top section is coated in a layer of hydrophobic antimicrobial material, this is to prevent infection and contamination of equipment.
The mechanism consists of three cogs that interlink when all components are connected, this connection allows the 90 degree movement that opens and closes the seal on the containers.
The center section is the anchor for the entire product, it provides stability when turning and assures that all mechanism components are locked in place.
Each of the containers can hold 15L of waste, this allows for collection every two days. There is a lip situated around the holes of the containers where the cog covers slide under to create a pressure seal, this eliminates odor and completely blocks any type of spillage.
Each container has a very minor slope inside to assist in the even distribution of waste along the side walls and base. This design prevents pooling and blockages that could cause damage to the product.
Divide is delivered to the users household free of charge. Studies show that space is at a premium inside the average Indian slum house, so placement of Divide is at the users disgretion. Divide is operated by the left hand because studies suggest the left is seen as unclean in India. The user turns the lid 90 Degrees to open the holes in which the waste feces are stored.
Divide is designed to be used as a squat toilet, the reason for this is because natively most Indians squat over holes in the ground in such a position, trying to maintain a sense of normality is essential. The waste is kept seperate because when they mix the potential for energy creation is greatly reduced. After use the lid is turned back the same distance to reseal the containers and lock out any smells that may linger.
The containers can be easily removed and replaced by pulling on the handles, they are then handed off to the Dabbawalla for delivery.
Divide will solve the problem of illness, security and safety in slums across India by providing a toilet for every home. Also, I would like to contrast an existing energy generating material vs. Divide, this material is coal, it takes up to 300 Million years to form, it then has to be mined, refined and is non renewable while waste energy is instantly usable, widely available and costs next to nothing to collect. Donating a toilet to every household would provide Divide with free material for generating energy, the potential worldwide profit for this infrastructure is huge.
