Since 2012, the  Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been funding research into omni processors. An omni processor is any of various types of technologies that treat fecal sludge, also known as septage to remove pathogens and simultaneously extract byproducts with commercial value, for example energy or soil nutrients, the latter which could be reused in agriculture. The omni processor program, which targets community-scale solutions that may optionally combine sludge and solid waste processing, complements the foundation's pit latrine emptying ("omni-ingestor") and "Reinvent the Toilet" programs.