At Point of Shift, we envision a greener world where all bio-waste is valued and utilized in circular systems through beautifully designed, sustainable toilets.
We assist clients through each stage of the design and implementation process for sustainable, off-grid toilets, including the vision, goals, treatment options, permitting, and funding.
We love to talk toilets, so get in touch and let’s get started!
In September of 2021, Point of Shift built the first circular toilet at Stonehedge Gardens, an eco-village and wellness hub in Tamaqua, Pennslyvania. The waste from this toilet (food scraps, feces, urine, and menstrual blood) is composted for 6 months before being vermicomposted (enriched by worms) to create dark, nutrient-rich soil for the eco-village’s gardens.
An alternative to traditional septic tanks and toilets, circular sanitation is the process of treating human waste with other bio-waste (food scraps, agricultural waste, etc.) and converting it into compost, water, and energy. It strengthens cities, communities, and businesses by providing local, renewable resources that increase as populations grow and businesses scale.
Recycling excrement may sound unconventional and unhygienic, but it is increasingly being recognised as an important step in circular sanitation and economy – a process of treating and converting waste into a usable product.
“This topic is super-hot right now,” says Kelsey McWilliams, founder and managing director of Point of Shift, a Philadelphia-based company that designs circular sanitation systems. “People are realising that what we’re doing is unsustainable, so there’s a lot more interest in circular sanitation, specifically in the US, but other places too.”
When done correctly, it is a more holistic and sustainable way of dealing with the worldwide human waste problem. Because the stinky truth is that our planet indeed suffers from a human poo overload.
‘Why It’s Time To Talk About Poo’
By Lina Zeldovich | 8/31/2022
Understanding all your options with circular sanitation can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! We work with you to identify, understand, and implement the best sustainable, off-grid toilet solutions for your needs.
Do you care about style as much as substance? Do you want your toilet to be an A-framed harmonic throne? Built inside a whimsical retro bus? Inspired by Wizards? Rest assured, we’ve done it all. Let’s create the bathroom of your dreams!
Are you determined to design & build your own off-grid toilet but need a few pointers? We offer carefully crafted documents on the science of circular sanitation and how to build different composting toilets on land and in vehicles!
Kelsey founded Point of Shift in 2020 to address a gap between technologists and consumers in the circular sanitation and alternative septic market. Her career as an environmental engineer, sanitation project manager, and business technology consultant over the past seven years has included designing innovative Water Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) systems for agriculture and developing tools to help businesses assess the feasibility of Circular sanitation technologies.
