Urinavate

Urinavate is a coined term used in sanitation and circular economy discussions to describe the practice of recovering value from human urine. In this sense, it denotes the design and operation of systems that collect urine separately at the source and process it to reclaim water and nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, for agricultural or industrial use. The term has no formal definition in peer-reviewed literature and is mainly found in informal discourse and advocacy materials.

Etymology of urinivate is not settled; it is typically treated as a portmanteau of urine and innovate or navigate, reflecting interest in turning urine from waste into a resource. Usage varies: some writers use urinivate as a verb meaning “to convert urine into usable products,” while others use it as a noun to denote the broader practice of urine valorization or resource recovery.

Practically, urinivate emphasizes source separation (urine-diverting toilets), compact treatment units, and nutrient- and water-recovery technologies. Recovered nutrients can be used as fertilizer, and treated water may be reused for non-potable applications. The approach is cited as supporting circular economy goals and reducing the environmental footprint of sanitation, though it faces regulatory, safety, and social acceptance challenges.

See also: urine recycling; nutrient recovery from wastewater; sustainable sanitation; circular economy.