Reinventing the Toilet

(Seattle, Washington) The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is sponsoring a competition to reinvent the toilet.

Scientists from around the world have taken up the challenge, and the foundation announced some projects Tuesday that will be getting more money to take their ideas from the lab to cities.

There, local entrepreneurs will use the new technology to turn pollution into cash.

"We couldn't be happier with the response that we've gotten," Bill Gates said.

To pass the foundation's threshold for the world's next toilet, it must operate without running water, electricity or a septic system, not discharge pollutants, preferably capture energy or other resources, and operate at a cost of 5 cents a day.

The Gates toilet effort has committed $370 million for research and development of the new toilet. First prototypes are expected within three years.