Composting Toilet
Yes you read that right, composting toilets do exist and there are lots of people using them to recycle what would otherwise just get flushed away.
There are many types of composting toilets to chose from too and no, the old outhouse pit type is not one of them. Systems such as simple twin chamber designs to advanced systems with rotating tines, temperature and moisture probes and electronic controls.
Yes I know it sounds like something out of the Jetsons TV cartoon but believe me these are available now not in some dreamy future.
In some parts of the world they use waterless odorless composting toilets so that homes can remain habited in times of extreme drought when water supplies are shut of. They can also provide public toilet facilities that are usable even without water to flush away the waste.
So what exactly is a composting toilet? A composting toilet is a toilet system designed to treat human waste by dehydrating and composting to produce an end product that is a valuable soil additive.There are a number of brand name systems designed in different shapes to speed up the natural composting process.
There are basically two types of systems one is the batch system which is a container that is filled then replaced with an empty one. The composting is carried out inside the sealed container which are sometimes part of a carousel system where three or four containers are used in succession and rotated as each one gets filled up another one is moved into place. By the end of the cycle the first container is composted and ready to be emptied.
Continual Process systems are systems designed to be in a constant state of composting. As the waste enters the toilet it is composted and moved down where it can be harvested after 6 - 12 months. Another type of composting toilet separates the urine and the feces. The majority of plant nutrients worthy of recycling comes from the urine which contains 90% nitrogen and 70% phosphorus.
The advantages of using a composting toilet may not at first be apparent to you but did you know you can save money off your sewage and water rates by installing one. Local authorities in some states are increasing the rebates paid out to households who use composting toilets. The solid end product may not seem a large amount but it is a valuable humic fertilizer that you can use in your garden and become the envy of your neighbors.
There are many types of composting toilets to chose from too and no, the old outhouse pit type is not one of them. Systems such as simple twin chamber designs to advanced systems with rotating tines, temperature and moisture probes and electronic controls.
Yes I know it sounds like something out of the Jetsons TV cartoon but believe me these are available now not in some dreamy future.
In some parts of the world they use waterless odorless composting toilets so that homes can remain habited in times of extreme drought when water supplies are shut of. They can also provide public toilet facilities that are usable even without water to flush away the waste.
So what exactly is a composting toilet? A composting toilet is a toilet system designed to treat human waste by dehydrating and composting to produce an end product that is a valuable soil additive.There are a number of brand name systems designed in different shapes to speed up the natural composting process.
There are basically two types of systems one is the batch system which is a container that is filled then replaced with an empty one. The composting is carried out inside the sealed container which are sometimes part of a carousel system where three or four containers are used in succession and rotated as each one gets filled up another one is moved into place. By the end of the cycle the first container is composted and ready to be emptied.
Continual Process systems are systems designed to be in a constant state of composting. As the waste enters the toilet it is composted and moved down where it can be harvested after 6 - 12 months. Another type of composting toilet separates the urine and the feces. The majority of plant nutrients worthy of recycling comes from the urine which contains 90% nitrogen and 70% phosphorus.
The advantages of using a composting toilet may not at first be apparent to you but did you know you can save money off your sewage and water rates by installing one. Local authorities in some states are increasing the rebates paid out to households who use composting toilets. The solid end product may not seem a large amount but it is a valuable humic fertilizer that you can use in your garden and become the envy of your neighbors.