New tech lets you charge your smartphone with your own pee

Relieve yourself and recharge.

Scientists at the Bristol Robotics Lab in the UK created a small machine that takes two liters of urine and turns it into 30 to 40 milliwatts of power, according to the BBC. That’s enough to “slowly” juice up your iPhone.

The invention is called a microbial fuel cell. This machine contains tiny bacteria that feeds on urine and breaks it down into electrons. The electrons then travel through an electric circuit, generating electricity.

Turning urine into electricity isn’t new, but this machine makes the process cheaper, practical and more powerful. Additionally, the researchers found that this process helps to kill pathogens, like Salmonella, in wastewater. They hope it will eventually serve as a way for poorer countries or refugee camps to generate renewable energy. The results of the group’s were published in PLOS ONE.

Attendees of the UK’s Glastonbury Festival, which kicks off June 21, will be the first to test out the new machine. Urine will also be used to power the lights inside the port-a-potties and the festival’s information displays.