CLIP EN // Turning waste into a ressource / Poop Factory

In Aboutengue, in eastern Chad, in a refugee camp which is home to nearly 46,000 people who have fled Sudan, a new kind of factory has appeared. Meet the Poop Factory! Yes, it is literally a poop factory.

But behind this funny name lies a real challenge. Because Médecins Sans Frontières has installed more than 1,000 latrines in the camp … and this means you’ve got to manage what comes out of them.

MSB238904

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Unique Identifier Code / URN MSB238904

Date taken / Date Recorded 07/07/2025 12:00 AM

Country Chad

Commissioning section MSF-SWITZERLAND

Usage Rights (MSF) External Media, MSF Fundraising, MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available no

Editor's rating ★★★ (F)

Video format h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 1m49s

Maximum Size 1080px × 1920px 81.41 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist SRT file: MSB242002

Script: "The Poop Factory" That Saves Lives

Alright, today we’re going to talk about poop. Yeah, you heard that right But wait, it’s for a good reason. Let me explain.

In Aboutengue, in eastern Chad, in a refugee camp which is home to nearly 46,000 people who have fled Sudan, a new kind of factory has appeared. Meet the Poop Factory! Yes, it is literally a poop factory.

But behind this funny name lies a real challenge. Because Médecins Sans Frontières has installed more than 1,000 latrines in the camp … and this means you’ve got to manage what comes out of them.

Like everywhere else where there are toilets.. there’s waste. And therefore, a problem to solve.

So, we built a fecal sludge treatment station.

The aim?

To prevent the spread of diseases.

But not only that. This project is also designed to last. To protect the environment, to limit pollution…. And… to turn waste… into a resource.

Usually, when a latrine is full, everything is emptied into a pit, lime is thrown in, it’s covered up… and that’s it.

Except that this can pollute soil and groundwater, and create health issues. So, not great.

At the Poop Factory, it’s a different story.

First, the waste is pumped out.

Liquids and solids are separated.

All without using chemicals. Just lime to treat the bacteria... and patience to let nature do its work.

The water is filtered, and goes through trenches filled with stones, and then is even used to water… banana trees.

Yes, banana trees. Because they drink up to 200 liters of water per day.

As for the sludge, it’s dried, then incinerated to eliminate any remaining pathogens. But that’s not all…

This dried sludge is rich in nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates…

In short, a cocktail that could eventually be used as fertilizer. Basically poop that feeds plants.

So yeah, the Poop Factory might make you smile.

But above all, it’s a brilliant, sanitary, and ecological solution which is well-adapted to humanitarian crises.

Waste Management Centre

Water

Water and Sanitation