Potty-Training Pigs?

Pretty good idea, if you ask me. Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration has pledged to toilet train train their six-million-swine pig farming industry in an effort to reduce the impact of farm pollution on water supplies. Popular Science reports:

Starting in 2009, one southern Taiwanese pig farmer began smearing special “toilet” areas on his farm with excrement and urine to attract the pigs, cajoling them into doing their business in areas where the waste can be contained (waste from farms is among the primary water pollution complaints received by Taiwan’s EPA, and the farmer was trying to avoid costly fines). The effort was such a success that the EPA recently conducted a study on the technique and plans to adopt it across the island. The effort didn’t just cut the amount of waste water at the farm to 20 percent of previous levels, but also made the farm a cleaner and less odorous operation, boosted fertility y 20 percent, and reduced illness among the animals. The farmer who piloted the initiative told local media that he thinks he collects up to 95 percent of all pig waste produced, rather than letting it slip into nearby rivers.

I'll spare you guys the dirty details about pig "toilets" but if you're curious, read more via Treehugger and Yahoo Green.