https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQqVSxglOws&spfreload=10

Are you thinking of becoming more green? A composting toilet is a simple way to save water, use no electricity, and turn your human waste into rich soil. Compost toilets don’t have mechanical parts that break, they don’t burst when frozen if left in cold climates, and they don’t require expensive septic or sewer systems.

What is a compost toilet?

A compost toilet is a bucket with a toilet seat on top!

How to use it?

You use a compost toilet as you would with any normal toilet except at the end of each use you add a cover material. Common cover materials are straw, saw dust, wood chips, leaves, or even dry soil. This helps soak up excess water and keep compost from smelling.

What do you do when the bucket is full?

All you do is empty the full buckets in any designated compost bin. You want to make sure to add lots of different types of biomass (sticks, leaves, lawn clippings, food scraps, etc.) and make sure the ground directly below the bin drains water well.

What then?

Once the bin is full you start a new bin and let the full bin rest for 1 year. During the resting time you will watch the magic of composting begin.  All the bugs and  microorganisms will break down the biomass and turn it into beautiful, rich, living soil.  After 1 year the compost is safe to use in any garden or landscaping project.

More benefits?

Compost toilet saves 27% of total water usage (up to $140 per person for average american household). You’ll also save wear and tear on your entire plumbing system, your water pumps won’t run as often, septic maintenance or other expensive can be almost eliminated (about $331 for average Connecticut home) and much, much more…

What are the disadvantages?

Compost toilets do require manual labor, one 5 gallon bucket will be filled (by one adult) in a week.  Most people fill multiple buckets and then empty them all together to save time.  If you are ok with paying yourself $1000’s of dollars per hour for your labor(no septic system, no plumbing system, no electricity to pump water, no sewer bills) then you won’t mind this part of the process.

Last big questions on everyones mind “Do they smell”, in my personal experience most of the time “no, not at all!”. However there are certain conditions that do create smells. For instance some users say their compost toilet smells if becomes too wet (they didn’t add enough cover material), or one bin has been sitting too long before completely filled.  The only time my compost began to smell (in two years of use so far) was when I installed a heating vent directly below.  It sure made my toilet seat nice and warm but it was also the first time there was a definite smell because I  was drying the compost.

 

If you would like to learn more:

http://humanurehandbook.com

http://humanurehandbook.com/humanure_basics.html