The Latest Scoop on Composting Poop

Image via WikipediaBy Richard Brunt

My first experience with composting toilets goes back about 20 years. After delaying it as long as possible, I had to make a trip to the dreaded outhouse in a Washington State park. However, I immediately noticed there was absolutely no odour. This was unlike every other "outhouse" I had used - where the smell is usually unbearable. A small plaque announced it was a composting toilet - producing natural fertilizer rather than toxic sewage. "Why didn't someone think of this before?", I asked myself.

Turns out they had. In Europe, composting toilets have been around for generations. Usually called "waterless toilets", they are installed in homes, offices and government buildings - wherever a toilet is needed. Contrary to a popular misconception, there is no unpleasant smell if installed properly. North Americans have been much slower to adopt this technology. However, fresh water is becoming a scarce resource in many areas. It seems wasteful to flush away gallons of pure drinking water every time we use a toilet. In 2005, Americans flushed away 123 billion gallons of water, according to a U.S. Geological Survey report..

Conventional sewage treatment is sometimes impractical or too expensive. Septic systems have many potential problems, not the least of which is disposal of the contents in an environmentally sound manner.

Composting toilets provide a viable solution in many instances.

A true composting toilet produces a safe, non-toxic final product that can be placed on ornamental plants. No expensive or energy intensive treatment is required, and no toxic sludge is produced. Best of all, once the unit is installed, it costs almost nothing to operate.

The exact process varies depending on the composting toilet. Generally you have a traditional looking toilet seat and bowl, which sits above a storage tank. This tank may be built-in as part of the toilet, or it could be installed below the bathroom in a basement or crawlspace.

The smaller, self contained units sometimes separate urine from solids. The relative lack of fluids in the storage tank helps eliminate odour. Further dehydration over time allows the solid material to shrink dramatically (just like a compost pile). A small self-contained composting toilet can hold a surprising number of "uses", meaning you do not have to empty it frequently.

Larger units may hold the urine and solids in one tank. Water evaporates with the aid of electric heat - with the same odour free results. Peat moss, coconut fiber, biological compost starter or other organic material is added to the composting toilet to initiate and aid the biological process. In some toilets the solids are rotated, to speed up composting. With some simple home-made units you just cover fresh material with a layer of sawdust. Ventilation is required.

Generally there will be a small hose running from the toilet to a outside vent - just like with a clothes dryer. A small, silent fan is often built into the toilet to ensure constant air movement. When the solids bin fills up - and this can take between a few weeks and years depending on the unit and how many people use it - you empty the already well-composted material into a suitable bin or container so it can "mature". There should be little or no odour at this stage, other than a slight "earthy" smell.

How long it must sit is a matter of some debate. It depends on the temperature. Many experts believe 12 weeks at room temperature should do it. It is then safe to use the finished compost on flowers or other non-edible plants.

Composting toilets require almost no maintenance and are impossible to plug. They are hygienic, inexpensive in the long run and environmentally benign. As fresh water becomes ever more scarce we are sure to see wide spread acceptance of this technology.

Richard Brunt is a freelance writer with a special interest in environmental issues and products. He sells Nature's Head composting toilets http://www.sustainable-solutions.info

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