According to the World Bank, 3.5 billion people across the planet lack access to ‘safely managed sanitation services.’ This isn’t just a problem in the Global South. In many parts of the US, sanitation systems are compromised or failing, producing an invisible crisis that pollutes waterways, threatens public health, and disproportionately impacts lower-income communities. In unincorporated areas of California alone, it is estimated that approximately 220,000 people lack access to adequate sanitation services, and climate disaster is exacerbating this crisis as wildfires have destroyed sanitation infrastructures in many communities.

One low-cost solution is the Container-Based Sanitation (CBS) model, which requires minimal water resources and offers the benefit of converting bodily waste into nutrient-rich compost. Under the CBS model, individual households use containerized toilets that are hygienically maintained using sawdust and biobags. The containers are then collected and taken to a central composting facility. This project led by Nick Kawa and Alisa Keesey—and supported by a seed grant from the OSU Sustainability Institute—aims to understand both the benefits and challenges of the container-based sanitation model through interviews with CBS users, wastewater treatment experts, and local politicians in Santa Cruz and Mendocino counties. The ultimate goal is to support the expansion of community-led sanitation initiatives across California and the broader US.