The inventor of a new kind of toilet that uses sawdust calls it a hygienic solution for whenever there is no water or drainage, such as after natural disasters.

The Bio-Lux toilet uses a screw mixing mechanism to turn over the sawdust and keep the odor down. About 2,500 of the units are now in use in Japan and overseas.

Its inventor, 68-year-old Toshihiro Kitsui, president of Seiwa Denko Co., says the device can become an almost permanent fixture, with little smell or upkeep.