Amsterdam Finds Green Solution to Public Urination Problem

A stroll down a city center street in Amsterdam this summer might look and smell a bit more pleasant thanks to new “green” urinals the city has installed to curb a public urination problem.

A successful pilot project in 2018 placed four hemp-filled, sustainable urinals in public peeing hotspots around the city and saw a 50% reduction in public urination, reports CNN. City officials had eight more installed three weeks ago.

The GreenPee urinal manufactured by Dutch company Urban Senses looks like a garden planter on top and has an opening on the side for urination. The inventor told CNN that the urinals not only cut down on “wild peeing,” but they also help protect historic buildings from the corrosive effects of urine, use less water than traditional toilets, and provide the green benefit of attracting bees and other insects.

Operators can check the receptacle manually or use a smart sensor to receive an alert when it is full and needs to be emptied.