Looking for a side hustle? You could make up to $180,000 from your poop

By Mercy Agumenaitwe,

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Every time you poop, you might be flushing money down the toilet.

It’s true. Some medical companies will pay healthy donors for their stool. Depending on the company, the poop is then used for microbiome studies or in treatment of patients with Clostridium difficile, a bacterium that causes infections in the colon.

Looking for a side hustle? Your poop could save lives and make you some cash in the process.

Here’s what you need to know to sell your poop.

How Much Money Can You Make?

The amount you earn with each donation depends on the company.

HumanMicrobes pays $500 per stool donation. If you poop daily and send it, you could net up to $180,000 per year.
GoodNature offers $25-75 per visit and up to $1,500 per month.
Poop With Purpose pays $50 per donation and up to $1,500 per month.

Like any other side hustle, get details on compensation before you sign any contracts or make any commitments.

Where to Sell Your Poop

While everybody poops, not everyone is eligible to be a donor. Each company has health and geographical requirements.

GoodNature

GoodNature’s stool donation program is used to study poop for potential C. diff treatments. The organization has locations in Irving, California; Cambridge, Massachusetts and Tempe, Arizona.

Potential donors must be 18-50 years old, at a normal weight, nonsmokers and with no history of gastrointestinal disease or drug or alcohol abuse. You must also be able to donate three to four times per week.

You’ll be paid $25-$75 per visit and can earn as much as $1,500 per month. You can also receive bonuses if you donate three to seven days weekly for an extended period.

Poop With Purpose

Poop with Purpose has one location in Boston, Massachusetts.

Donors must be 18-49 years old, pass health screenings, be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and be able to donate three times per week at their location.

You’ll earn $50 per donation and up to $1,500 per month.

HumanMicrobe

HumanMicrobe donors can be anywhere in the country that dry ice is sold, but the requirements for donation are stricter than other organizations. The stool is given to recipients for transplantation rather than studied.

Donors must be in “exceptional physical and mental health” and ideally under 30. Donors should also have a specific Bristol Stool type and minimal antibiotic use.

You’ll earn $500 per donation. You can also ask for more if the recipients want the poop to be encapsulated or mixed with an antifreeze solution.

The costs of any materials or equipment, dry ice and shipping will be paid for by HumanMicrobe or the stool recipient.

How To Sell Your Poop

Don’t rush to the bathroom just yet. You’ll need to go through an application process to determine your eligibility. Different organizations have different requirements.

Here’s how to get started.

1. Fill Out An Application

To get paid to poop, you’ll need to fill out an online application. It’s the first step for all three companies.

Prepare to get personal with these applications. Questionnaires delve into everything from your weight and physical activity to bowel movements and other health history.

HumanMicrobe’s questionnaire covers topics like your weight, physical activity, bowel movements and other health history.
GoodNature’s survey asks for basic information like location, weight and medical history.
The Poop with Purpose application will ask for your availability and medical history.

If your application is approved, you’ll be contacted by your chosen organization for further information.

2. See if You Qualify

You’ll also be asked to do health screenings. Poop With Purpose requires a clinical interview and a stool and blood screening before donation. GoodNature has their donors do a medical screening every two to six weeks.

3. Submit Your Sample

Once you’ve completed the screening process, get ready to poop.

If you donate through HumanMicrobe, you’ll collect the poop yourself. The stool needs to be placed directly in a Ziploc bag, then shipped on dry ice (unless you’re delivering to a local recipient.). You can freeze multiple samples and ship them together.

Hopefully you’re not a nervous pooper. At GoodNature and Poop With Purpose, you’ll donate at their respective locations multiple days per week. Poop With Purpose says you’ll be in and out in as little as 15 minutes.

Contributor Jenna Limbach writes on financial literacy and lifestyle topics for The Penny Hoarder from her home base in Nevada.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.