However, if you are shopping for a composting toilet, you may be a bit confused by the selection and the different models currently available. There are literally dozens of compost toilet manufacturers offering a variety of different types and features on composting toilets to choose from. However, there are two basic different types of composting toilets that you must choose between: self-contained or split (also known as “remote”).

Self-contained compost toilets are ideal for small homes and spaces. They are quite easy to install and are often ready to go right out of the box. There are both electric and non-electric versions that you can purchase. Electric versions usually have a fan that helps maintain the correct moisture density within the composting chamber. They also tend to be cheaper than the split composting toilet models.

Some of the down-sides of self-contained models include the small number of individuals they can adequately serve – most models cannot handle more than two people, and some may only be suitable for one individual to use on a daily basis. They may also appear a bit bulky, and many models are quite tall and require a foot stool for use. Some consumers find them more difficult to maintain as well, since the smaller size requires more frequent monitoring to make sure the compost stays in balance.

Split, or remote, composting toilets are the best choice if you will be having multiple individuals using the toilet on a daily basis. With a spit model, the composting chamber will be located in a different part of the house (usually directly beneath the toilet in a basement area) and many models look very similar to a regular flush toilet.

Split compost toilets generally are more expensive than self-contained models and require additional installation and plumbing costs. You also need adequate space and an appropriate space to install these units in your house. However, when you factor in the savings you will have in water costs and sewage or septic system maintenance costs, these units should still be a good economical choice.

In sum, by taking into careful consideration the number of people who will be using the composting toilet and the space available in your house, you should be able to find a composting toilet that works well for you and is the right choice for the environment as well.

Bill Boor has written numerous articles about composting toilet systems and portable composting toilets.

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However, many users of manufactured composting toilets by Sun-Mar, Envirolet, BioLet and other composting toilet models have had less than ideal experiences with their composting toilets.  As with the problems with homemade composting toilets that I have discussed in my personal account of using a humanure homemade composting toilet, the problems with manufactured composting toilets are frequently due more to user error than due to a problem with the toilet composting system itself.  Still, these problems are common enough to suggest that there needs to be made more effort on the part of manufacturers to properly educate consumers about common problems with these systems and how to avoid them.

Here are some of the common problems users report with different manufactured composting models – as well as some ways these problems may be remedied or avoided altogether.

1. Problems with liquid build up in the composting toilet.

This is by far the most common complaint I have common across in my research of manufactured composting toilets complaints (it also was a problem I experienced with homemade composting toilet buckets, but due to their small size and frequency of being emptied not as significant of a problem, I think).  This fluid is generally a result of people urinating in the toilet.  The composting process will simply not work properly in most composting toilet systems if there is too much fluid in the system.

Some users, and even some manufacturers, recommend not using composting toilets to urinate in, but this does not seem like an adequate solution to me (and many other users).  Particularly for females, it is a hassle to have to urinate in a separate container or outdoors (not to mention that this may be illegal in some areas).  Excess liquid can be controlled, however, by adding adequate amounts of dry material to balance the composting matter and using electric fans and heaters to help evaporate and dispel excess moisture (so for those purchasing non-electric models, extra care will have to be taken to keep the system in order).  In addition, there are now models being manufactured that divert urine away from the “dry” composting area (for fecal matter).  For an example of this system, check out the Nature’s Head composting toilets.

2. Problems with Odor.

A well functioning composting toilet (whether homemade or manufactured) should be odorless.  Odor problems are a sign that there is a serious problem with the system.  Frequently this is due to the liquid issues discussed above.

Composting toilets rely on aerobic decomposition, but with excess liquid, the process will instead convert to anaerobic decomposition (for a discussion of these two processes, read “How Toilet Composting Works“).  Both of these decomposition processes are found in nature, but anaerobic decomposition is the the smelly one, and if your toilet has gotten out of balance, the smell can be quite bad indeed.

To remedy this problem, you need to get your compost back in balance by adding dry matter to it.  Unfortunately, if it is really bad, you may have to remove some of the liquid matter first – a quite unpleasant task – so it is best to try to keep this problem from developing in the first place!

3. Problems with removing the finished compost from the toilet.

There are two significant problems users may encounter when it is time to remove the compost.  First, we return again to the issue of excess liquid – if the mixture is too wet, it will be difficult and smelly removal process (and you may well decide to remove the toilet along with the compost!).

A second issue some users report is a result of overloading the system.  For most composting toilets, you need to make sure the finished compost is removed promptly.  You may also be able to make the process of removal easier by using very lightweight organic brown matter for your dry matter in the composting toilet.  Peat moss may be an ideal medium for most composting toilets (although there may be concerns about using it due to environmental issues).

Switching to any toilet composting system – be it homemade or manufactured – requires a significant change in practice and much education.  Anticipating what are very common problems by users, and providing full disclosure of these issues are and how to resolve them, would be a great benefit many users of these toilet composting systems.  Furthermore, it would also help promote composting toilet usage instead of leaving some composting toilet users frustrated, angry and often abandoning and discouraging others from using a valuable green technology.

For more information about composting toilets and reviews of different composting toilet systems, please return to the Toilet Composting Home Page.

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1. Getting a Compost Toilet Approved. The most difficult aspect of placing a composting toilet in your home is likely going to be gaining approval and permit by local city officials.  This articles discusses some of the challenges and recent changes in the local approval permitting process for compost toilets.
   
2. Ecological Sanitation and Composting Toilets.  This article discusses the emerging waste paradigm of ecological sanitation.  Sometimes referred to as EcoSan or Eco-San, one of the primary tenants of this paradigm is that human and household “waste” is actually a valuable resource instead of a waste product to be thrown away
3. Common problems with Manufactured Composting Toilets.  Although there are many benefits to using a manufactured composting toilet model in your home, there are also some common problems, which this article discusses.
4. Toilet Composting Basics.  Just a straightforward discussion of the basics of composting toilets, including what they are, how they work and links to resources for more information.
5. Five Reasons You Should Use a Composting Toilet.  If you need more convincing that switching to a composting toilet is a good idea, take a look at this article.
   
6. History of Composting Toilets.  Discusses the somewhat murky history of composting toilets.
7. Incinerating, Desiccating and Composting Toilet Comparisons.  Incinerating and desiccating toilets are two other alternative to flush toilet systems, and this article compares the three different systems.
8. Guide to Purchasing a Compost Toilet.  Here are some of the most important questions you will need answered and issues to consider when purchasing a composting toilet for your home, RV, or boat.
   
9. Leave No Trace: Portable Composting Toilets for Camping.  Camping trips pose special challenges when it comes to properly disposing of and composting waste.  This article discusses some of the most recent products developed to assist with this process.
10. Build a Compost Toilet: Information and Plans.  Discussion and plans for building a homemade compost toilet.
11. How Composting Toilets Work.  Discusses the difference between aerobic and anaerobic decomposition and the mechanics of how the composting process works in composting toilets.
    
12. Advantages and Disadvantages of Composting Toilets.  Although composting toilets are a great green technology, they may not be for everybody.  Here are some of the benefits and challenges of switching to a toilet composting system.

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Local health officials in many regions may be extremely biased against any nontraditional waste disposal method.  Many cities don’t even allow rainwater catchment, so trying to convince them that humanure is a great idea is quite a challenge!  For this reason, most composting toilet owners in the United States do not even bother seeking permits, instead using them clandestinely in their homes.  Just like the “solar guerillas” who often illegally set up solar systems in their homes due to oppressive regulations, there appears to be a large composting toilet guerilla underground movement as well.

But there is encouraging changes happening as the number of users of composting toilets continues to grow.  In a recent New York Times article (dated July 6, 2009), reporter Kate Galbraith noted that many cities are now at least considering a policy that encourages (or accepts) composting toilets in residential homes.  She writes that, “Last month the city of Austin, Tex., approved its first composting toilet. Columbus, Ohio is adding some composting toilets to its parks [and] Officials in Dutchess County, N.Y., are studying the concept [of approving composting toilets].”

Galbraith also interviewed Jim Weaver of BioLet composting toilets, who noted that manufactured composting toilets is definitely a growth industry, with BioLet currently selling over 1,000 a units a year (and BioLet is a fairly small company compared to some other composting toilet manufacturers, including Sun-Mar and Envirolet).

There are also additional attempts to create national standardization and regulation criteria.   The National Sanitation International Foundation is now setting manufacturing standards and certifying composting toilets in the United States and abroad.

Still, the approval process is still not easy for most regions in the United States.  This is an area where more activism seems to be needed, and although the permiting process can be grueling (and often unsuccesful), silently installing a composting toilet does little to help on this front (although it does undoubtedly to a lot of good for the environment).   Activism and education seem to be the key to encouraging people to switch from the wasteful flush toilet method to the more environmentally sustainable practice of toilet composting.

For more information about composting toilet methods, composting toilet reviews, and information on how to build a homemade compost toilet, please return to the Toilet Composting Home Page.

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Ecological sanitation systems seek to to create “closed-loop” sanitation systems by working to make the nutrients from the output of human feces and urine available to input into agricultural uses (which then, by providing food for humans becomes “output” again).   Ecological sanitation methods also promote soil fertility without using chemical fertilizers and work to assure food security for future generations.

According to biointensive agricultural expert John Jeavons, “Each person’s urine and manure contain approximately enough nutrients to produce enough food to feed that person,” and ecological sanitation methods aim to capitalize on this value of human “waste.”  Ecological sanitation methods also aim to reduce the amount of soil, surface and groundwater contamination due to septic or sewage based waste disposal systems.

Composting toilets play an important role in many ecological sanitation based systems, as they are able to turn human and household organic waste into humus which can then be recycled into the environment in very beneficial ways.  The composting toilets used in ecological santiation systems can be either high-tech and low-tech, and both homemade composting toilets and manufactured ones have a role to play in this system.

The homemade composting toilet system developed by Joseph Jenkins is one example of a low-tech (and nearly free) composting toilet that is integrated into an ecological sanitation paradigm.   Joseph Jenkins has also long been an advocate for using the compost produced by these toilets (which he calls “humanure”) for agricultural purposes.  (For more information about humanure, read Jenkin’s book (available online) “The Humanure Handbook.”  You can also read a short article from this website entitled “What is Humanure and What Can I Do with It?“)

As long as the waste disposal system is a closed-loop system and beneficial to the environment, there are many different ways in which ecological sanitation systems can be organized.  Other possible elements that ecological sanitation systems can include are vermicomposting (worm composting), solar toilets, and in some cases, leach fields and planter cells (such as with an earthship design).

For more information, you can read Christine Werner’s excellent article on the topic, “Closing the Loop through Ecological Sanitation” (PDF file).  There are several EcoSan centers globally, including the EcoSan Center at the  Norwegian University fo Life Science UMB and EcoWaters in the USA.

For more information on toilet composting systems and for answers about frequently asked questions about composting toilets, please return to the Toilet Composting Home Page.

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What are composting toilets and how do they work?

Composting toilets are an important alternative to flush toilet systems.  Unlike the sewage or septic-based flush toilet system, composting toilets rely on little or no water in dealing with human waste.  Instead, composting toilets turn human waste into a valuable soil additive that can be used as a soil amendment.  Users will generally add organic brown matter to the toilet (such as sawdust or peat moss) instead of water.  Basic toilet composting systems rely on either a series of containers or a large centralized composting chamber.  For a full description, read What are Composting Toilets?

How are composting toilets good for the environment?

Toilet composting systems benefit the environment in multiple ways.  They can play a major role in preserving one of the world’s most important and rapidly diminishing resources: water.  They also produce a valuable end-product (compost) that can improve the environment and less reliance on chemical fertilizing products.   Composting toilets can also lessen the threat of groundwater contamination (from septic systems), environmental pollution (from broken sewage pipes), and help recycle all sorts of organic household waste.  For more information, read “What are the Environmental Benefits of Composting Toilets?”

How safe are composting toilets?

The short answer is completely safe, when used properly.  When not installed and used according to specifications, however, they may pose health risks – just as septic and sewage systems also pose considerable health risks when used or maintained improperly.  For a full discussion, read the entire article “Are Composting Toilets Safe?”

Where can I put in a composting toilet system?

Some people confuse composting toilets with outhouses or pit latrines, assuming they must be installed outdoors.  This simply is not true.  Most current toilet composting systems are built for indoor use (the exception being certain portable composting toilet models).  Most are meant for household use, but there are many other locations that composting toilets can be installed.  Increasingly government facilities, national parks and colleges are installing them both because of their benefit for the environment and society, but also to serve as demonstration projects for the public.  For more ideas about where toilet composting systems can be used, check out the article “Where Can Composting Toilets Be Used?”

What do toilet composting systems cost?

If you are actively searching for a toilet composting system, this is probably a major question you have when comparing it to other waste disposal systems.  Although composting toilets may initially seem much more expensive than a flush toilet system, there are many hidden costs in the latter, and some research will show that composting toilets are usually the best choice financially.  Not only do they costs considerably less than installing a septic system or paying sewage fees over time, but you will also save on water and be producing a valuable end product as well.  For complete information, read “How Much do Composting Toilets Cost?”

What can I put in a composting toilet?

Besides the obvious (human waste and toilet paper), you will find that your composting toilet is a wonderful way to recycle a wide variety of organic waste that your household produces.  Everything from kitchen scraps, shredded paper, coffee grounds and even yard waste can be put into your toilet composting system.  For a full discussion and many more examples of what can go into your composting toilet, read “What Can You Put In a Composting Toilet?”

How do I dispose of the end-product of the toilet composting process?

The end product of toilet composting is humus, or compost, and it is a valuable soil additive.   Some refer to this end-product also as “humanure” and you can use it to fertilize trees, bushes, flowers and more.  For a full discussion, read “What is Humanure and What Can I do With It?”

For more articles and information, you can return to the Toilet Composting homepage and search through the archives of dozens of useful articles about different aspects of building, purchasing, maintaining and using composting toilets.

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1) Composting toilets help conserve valuable water resources. Flush toilet systems waste enormous amounts of clean drinking water each year.  It is estimated that every day, Americans flush over 4.8 billion gallons of water down their toilets.

In order to keep the water flowing to these flush toilets, dams must be built, water piped hundreds of miles and then chemically treated, and then after all this expense and effort, 40% of the water will simply be flushed away.  The situation in developing nations, where clean water supplies are often quite limited, is even more dire.  For more information, read “What is Wrong with Flush Toilets.”

2)  Composting toilets are safer for the environment. If you have any question about the damage sewage systems do to our environment, just type the words “sewage spills” into Google and read some of the results. Septic systems are not much better, as contamination of ground water due to seepage from septic tank is a growing problem in many regions.

Composting toilets have little risk of causing any comparable type of environmental damage (in fact, the end product of the toilet composting process is actually good for the environment).  For more information, read “What are the Environmental Benefits of Composting Toilets?”

3) They are a good choice economically. When initially comparing a flush toilet to a compost toilet, the latter may seem much more expensive.  But you should be mindful of the many hidden costs associated with flush toilet systems.

For example, installing a composting toilet costs less than half of what it would cost to install a septic system on your property.  If you are connected to a sewage system, you will save on connection costs over the year.  With a composting toilet, you will also save enormously on annual water costs.  For more information, read “How Much do Composting Toilets Cost?”

4) They produce a valuable end product that is good for the environment. Whereas flush toilets produce a waste product that must be treated and disposed of, composting toilet produce a nutrient rich end-product that is a valuable soil additive.

Rather than posing an environment risk, the humus from composting toilets helps create an even greener environment around us.  For more information on how to use humus in your garden and yard, read “What is Humanure and What Can I Do With It?”

5) Most composting toilet models are easy to install and have less environmental impact than flush toilets. With a composting toilets you will not need heavy machinery to excavate a septic system or connections to a sewage system.  Self-contained models are especially easy to install, but even remote systems are quite easy to install with some professional help.  See “Types of Composting Systems” for more information.

For more information, including a discussion of some of the “Advantage and Disadvantages of Composting Toilets,” please visit the Toilet Composting Home Page where you will find dozens of useful articles on toilet composting systems.

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For a long time, it was argued that the first commercially designed composting toilets were developed in Sweden in the 1930s or 1940s.  Apparently what prompted this development in Sweden was the extremely rocky soil conditions in the Swedish countryside that prevented the installation of sewage pipes or septic systems, and composting toilets emerged as a solution to this problem.

However, recent research at Envirolet has shown that there were much earlier models of composting toilets available.  For example, in 1881 there was an advertisement in “the Ironmongers’ Catalogue” for a “Self-Acting Earth Closet” which according to the advertisement is “A substitute for the Water Closet, securing healthy homes, inoffensive drains, and garden fertility.”  And an even earlier example is found in 1860 for the “Earth Commode” by the English vicar Reverend Henry Moule.  Moule developed this composting toilet in an effort to combat the ravages of cholera in London at the time which threatened the life of many of his parishioners.  Although some schools and military installations adopted these toilets, and they were also used in India as well, they never received the wide-spread adoption he had hoped for.  There is, however,  no doubt that in the mid-19th century there was experimentation with several different composting toilet models.

However, regardless of these early commercial composting toilet examples, it wasn’t until the 1960s and 1970s that composting toilets began to gain in popularity and use worldwide.  The design of modern composting toilet systems originated in Scandinavia during the 1960s.  During the 1970s, these designs started to be transported to Canada, Australia and the United States, which is when many modern composting toilet manufacturers got their start.

Some of the models developed during the 1960s and 1970s had issues with odor and ease of maintenance, and during the last decade or two there has been quite a few advances in the composting toilet industry.  Composting toilets manufactured today are practically odorless, easy to use and several models are are now certified as completely safe and sanitary for home usage by health sanitation agencies.  (Although just because a model has not received a formal certification does not mean that it is unsafe or unsanitary either).

There have been many changes in composting toilet designs over the past 150 years or so.  Modern composting toilets are clean, easy to use and appear to be here to stay.  If you are interested in learning more about the advantages and disadvantages of composting toilets, how composting toilets benefit the environment or answers to commonly asked questions about toilet composting systems, please visit the Toilet Composting Home Page.

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1) Incinerating Toilets. Incinerating toilets rely on electricity or gas to burn waste.  Burn cycles typically take between five and thirty minutes, after which all human waste is turned into ash.  These models do require quite a bit of electricity to run, and some consumers complain that they are quite noisy during the burn cycles.  EcoJohn is currently one of the most popular manufacturers of incinerating toilets.

2) Desiccating Toilets.  Desiccating toilets (also known as dehydrating toilets, solar toilets or drying toilets), are best suited to arid climates where dry ambient air can be circulated into the toilet chamber so that any moisture is eliminated.  When this works properly, the end-result will be both dry and odorless.  Solarsan is a popular manufacturer of dehydrating toilets.

Desiccating toilets must be designed as to divert urine from the chamber in which the feces will be drying in order for them to work properly (the urine can be used for fertilizing applications if so desired).  The drying process usually take several months to complete, after which they can burned, composted or buried.

3) Composting Toilets. Composting toilets systems operate by encouraging aerobic decomposition.  Most composting toilets can reduce organic waste to between 10 and 30 percent of original volume.  The end-product of the composting process is a rich, soil-like material called humus, which can be used as a valuable soil additive.   There are currently many competing manufacturers of composting toilets globally: Sun-Mar, Envirolet, and BioLet are some brand names you may come across when researching different models.  (You can read reviews of some of these models here).

Each of these systems has its advantages and disadvantages.  Desiccating toilets are possibly the best choice in dry areas, incinerating toilets work well for families that want quick disposal of waste without water, and composting toilets can help recycle not only human waste but also other organic waste produced by the household (such as vegetable scraps).

However, there is one prime benefit to composting toilets that neither the incinerating or desiccating toilet system provides: the valuable end-product of humus, a valuable soil additive.  In this way composting toilets not only help eliminate the use of water from toilet systems, but also produce a valuable resource in the process.

If you are interested in reading more about the advantages and disadvantages of composting toilets, please visit the Toilet Composting Home Page where you will find numerous articles about composting toilet systems, including portable composting models suitable for camping and other outdoor applications.

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Sun-Mar Composting Toilet

If you are seriously considering purchasing a composting toilet there are several issues to keep in mind as you review different models, to ensure that the composting toilet model you purchase will work efficiently and reliably in your home.

First, you need to consider what capacity you really need given the location and daily use the composting toilet is likely to receive. Be certain that you are selecting a composting toilet  that is large enough for your needs. A good rule of thumb is to purchase a composting toilet model that has at least 25-40% greater capacity than you think you will need. That will allow both for a margin of error as well as the ability to add an additional user or two if circumstances change.  Often the price difference between a small and medium sized composting toilet system is often negligible as well.  An extra couple hundred dollars spent today may be well worth the expense in a few years when an unexpected family member comes for a long term stay!

When sizing a system you will also need to consider whether it will be used occasionally or whether it will have regular, daily usage.  This is especially true if you are considering purchasing a self-contained model. Although some self-contained models boost capacity for four or more people, this is only based on “occasional” usage.

You will also need to decide whether you will be purchasing an electric model or non-electic composting toilet.  Non-electric models are ideal for remote locations that are off-grid, and for cabins and houses where the toilets will only be having occasional use.  But for regular, daily use your family may appreciate the ease of the electric models.  You may find that you have many less problems with maintaining the correct moisture level and no odor problems with an electric model, while a non-electric model may require regular, often daily, maintenance to keep it in order.

Finally, you should look into the building codes for your area and see if there are any requirements that need to be met by your composting toilet system.  By installing your composting toilet up to code you will be able to avoid many problematic issues down the road if you ever decide to sell your home.

Switching from a flush toilet system to a toilet composting system is one of the best environmental choices you can make for your household.  It is estimated that a single composting toilet can save over 26 gallons a day of water that would otherwise be flushed down the toilet, and you will also be producing a valuable end-product (humus) that will further benefit the environment.

By keeping these criteria in mind as you review composting toilet models, you will be able to assure that the model you purchase is right for you and your family and avoid disappointment and frustration down the line.  For further advice regarding the environmental and social benefits of using composting toilets, and composting toilet reviews of popular composting toilet manufactures (Sun-Mar, Biolet and more), please visit the Toilet Composting Home Page.

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A portable composting toilet is ideal for camping excursions

In order to protect the environment of national parks and trails, hikers and campers should follow the “Leave No Trace” guidelines. These guidelines help ensure that no individual leaves behind waste that others will encounter while on the trail, and this applies to every kind of waste.  I can remember how on one of my earliest hiking adventures I came upon a disgusting mess of toilet paper and human waste left on the side of the trail.  If you are planning a family camping trip in the near future, you should consider investing in a portable composting toilet to help ensure you follow the “leave no waste” guidelines and leave the outdoor areas as clean as they were before you arrived.

The idea of bringing a portable composting toilet with you to the outdoors might have you envisioning lugging a port-o-potty along with your family on the trail.  But be assured there are other much more reasonable and lightweight options.  Most portable composting toilets on the market will weigh less than five pounds, and will fold down to an easily packable size.  Most models rely on you decomposable composting bags that you will pack-out with you when you return home.

For example, the Nature Bio-Toilet is ideal for family camping excursions. It folds up to only 4 inches high, and weighs less than five pounds.  This model is quite affordable and can be purchased online from Cabelas for around $50.  The toilet can support individuals who weigh up to 250 pounds.

Another option is the PETT Environmental Composting Toilet (pictured above).  This very portable toilet is used by Forest and Park Services and can hold up to 800 pounds, while only weighing 7 pounds.  Pair this with a Cabana portable shelter for privacy if you like as well.

Finally, one of my favorite designs is the Jimmy’s Thunderbox portable composting toilet, made by an Australian manufacturer.  It folds down to less than an inch in height, sets up in just minutes, and weighs well under 10 pounds.  You’ll have to order and have it shipped from Australia if you are interested in using it on your next camping outing, however, so be sure to allow adequate time for delivery.

Please take the time to ensure you are well prepared for your next camping outing by looking into investing in a portable composting toilet.  By doing so you will be able to ensure you truly “leave no trace” and help protect our natural environment.

For more information about portable composting toilet systems suitable for outdoor applications (including larger models that are ideal for large outdoor events), or about toilet composting in general, please return to the Toilet Composting Home Page, where you will find many articles covering the basics of the toilet composting process and answers to commonly asked questions about the safety and advantages of switching to a composting toilet system.

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If you are looking for a way to lessen your ecological footprint and participate positively in solutions to improve the environment, then you should seriously consider switching from a flush toilet to a composting toilet system.  Flush toilets waste enormous amounts of water each year, but composting toilets operate with little or no water and their end product (compost) is a valuable soil amendment as well.

However, one downside of switching to composting toilets is that the manufactured brands can be quite expensive – generally starting around $1500 for a basic, no-frills model.  However, it is possible to build a composting toilet on your own for well under $50 in materials.

Owner built (also called site built) composting toilets are generally passive in design – meaning they rely on natural instead of mechanical forces.  Since they do not have a built in electrical unit, they will need to be monitored more closely than manufactured composting toilets and involve more labor in terms of their care and maintenance (more on this below, in the section “How to Use Your New Composting Toilet”).  However, some would say that with this responsibility comes rewards including an intimate knowledge of how your body is literally recycling waste positively into the environment.

This project will only take a few hours once all items needed to build it are assembled.  The finished composting toilet will be 18” wide and 21” long.

Materials You Will Need to Build a Composting Toilet

• Four to five identical 5 gallon buckets with lids
• A standard sized toilet seat
• A hinged plywood top for the seat to rest on made of 3/4” plywood.  The main portion of the top should measure 18” by 18”, attached with hinges to a 3”x18” board
• A box for the plywood top (and seat) to rest on, measuring 18 by 21 inches in width, and 10” deep.  This can be built from two 10”x18”x1” boards and two 10”x21”x1” boards screwed together.
• Four legs to be attached to the box (3/4” x 3” x 12”) using screws (or a nail and hammer).

You will need to cut a top in the plywood where the seat hole is (draw a circle to cut out using the seat as a template on the top of the composting toilet).  The hole should be set about 1 ½ inches back from the front edge of the plywood.   When screwing or nailing the legs to the inside of the box, be sure that the top edge of the box is about 1/2” below the top edge of the five gallon bucket, so that the rim will sit tight against the underside of the toilet seat.

How to Use Your New Composting Bucket

Now that you have finished your composting toilet, it’s ready to use.  Well, yes, technically, but there are some additional materials you will need to keep the composting process in order:

1) A Compost Bin. Unlike most manufactured, active designs where the composting process takes place inside a chamber attached to the toilet, when you build a composting toilet based on the above passive design, you will have to transport it to a composting bin outdoors for it to undergo the composting process.  You may want to locate this composting bin in your garden next to your normal garden composting pile, and you may need more than one bin if there are many people in your household.  For more information about purchasing or building your own composting bin, visit The Composting Bin Website.

2) Organic “Brown Matter.” This will be used to cover your “deposits” when using the toilet in order to create a balanced compost formula. This can be sawdust, peat moss, leaves, hay straw, rice hulls or any other relatively dry and brown organic matter.

You want to ensure that your composting toilet creates a nutrient-rich compost that is clean and odor-free (this finished compost is often referred to as “humanure”).  To create this, you will need to ensure that whenever anyone uses the toilet, they sprinkle the organic brown matter on top.  The material in the bucket should be moist, but not wet.

Once a bucket is fully, you will need to transport it outside to your composting bin, while placing an empty five gallon bucket in the toilet to replace the full one.  In my experience, people often wait until they have three or four full containers (depending how many they have in reserve) to do all the emptying and cleaning at once.  This is not a terribly pleasant task, although it is also not as unpleasant as you might imagine it to be as well.  Be sure to cover the emptied waste with additional brown material, and to clean the buckets well so that no odors will linger.  You should not need to turn this material, and it should compost on its own to create a rich humus material in six months to a year.

For additional information and articles about composting toilets, please return to the Toilet Composting Home Page.  I hope you have found this information about how to build a composting toilet to be useful.

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Composting toilets rely on the same form of decomposition found in forests and other natural environments

Toilet composting systems differ from flush toilet systems in some very fundamental and important ways. One of the most significant differences is in the manner in which the waste matter is decomposed in these systems.

Composting toilets systems generally operate using a managed form of aerobic decomposition. This is the form of decomposition most commonly found in nature. It takes place, for example, on forest floors, where tree leaves and animal droppings are slowly converted into a stable humus.

In aerobic decomposition, organic matter is decomposed in the presence of oxygen. In this process, there will be few odors, which is an important benefit of the aerobic decomposition process when applied to toilet composting systems. During aerobic decomposition, living organisms (both microorganisms and macro-organisms such as earthworms) will feed on the organic matter being decomposed. Aerobic bacteria and fungi will break down the waste. Large piles of materials composting using aerobic decomposition will tend to generate quite a bit of heat (such as garden compost heaps), which further helps speed up the aerobic decomposition process.

Toilet composting takes this natural, usually odorless form of natural composting as its guide. Toilet composting systems are built so that they maximize the benefits and speed of aerobic decomposition, while producing few if any odors.   Many toilet composting systems can break down human waste to between 10 and 30 percent of its original volume and creating a stable soil-like material called humus, which is a valuable soil additive.  This humus is generally used on non-edible plants and trees in the United States, although it is widely considered safe for edible plants as well, and occasionally used to fertilize edible plants in other countries.

Flush toilets, on the other hand, rely on anaerobic decomposition. Anaerobic decomposition occurs with the absence of oxygen. Septic systems are an example of an anaerobic decomposition process at work. During anaerobic decomposition, organic matter is reduced via putrefactive breakdown, and this process usually involves strong and unpleasant odors. Anaerobic decomposition also takes place in nature, although much less commonly than aerobic decomposition. An example of a place that you might find anaerobic decomposition taking place is in the muds at the bottom of marshes, where oxygen does not have access. Anaerobic decomposition in nature is often accompanied by strong sulfuric odors. Similarly, septic and sewage systems also are quite unpleasant in terms of odor (often even more so than what is found in nature).

With aerobic based toilet composting systems, the end product (the compost) is a valuable soil additive. This mimics the process in nature, where decomposing vegetable matter on the floor of forests provide nutrients to the plants currently growing. When those plants die, they will then decompose and contribute nutrients to new plants, and so forth. Toilet composting allows human waste to enter into this cycle in a similar, productive manner which benefits the environment instead of being a waste that needs to be buried or chemically treated.

For even more information and answers to questions about toilet composting systems, please return to the Toilet Composting Home Page.

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Composting Toilet

Composting toilets have undergone great changes in the last few years and they are becoming increasingly easier to use and maintain by users. Toilet composting is also a technology that helps manage the ongoing problem of dealing with human waste in a productive, environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. But as with any technology, there are both advantages and disadvantages of using composting toilets.

If you are considering investing in a composting toilet, here are some of the benefits and challenges of toilet composting that you should consider:

Advantages of Composting Toilets

One of the primary advantages of using a composting toilet is that by composting human waste and then using the end product as a soil amendment for trees and non-edible plants, you will be contributing positively to the environment. In this system, human waste becomes a resource instead of a problem to be disposed of or treated.

Composting toilets also benefit the environment by preserving another valuable natural resource: water. Composting systems both reduce or eliminate the need of water for flushing and thus dramatically reduces water consumption and waste.

Many composting toilet systems can also accept kitchen wastes, and thus further help with reducing household waste and help simplify the composting process (especially for apartment dwellers who may not have an easy way of composting vegetable matter).

By eliminating the need for transporting human waste to facilities for treatment and disposal, composting toilets reduce and pressure on large infrastructure facilities that deal with human waste and the need for new treatment facilities to be built.

Disadvantages of Composting Toilets

Most of the disadvantages of toilet composting are a result of faulty installation and maintenance. The primary disadvantage is that the maintenance of composting toilets requires the learning of new practices and habits, and ultimately requires more responsibility by users and owners then conventional flush toilet systems.

Improper maintenance can make the cleaning of some models unpleasant, may lead to odor problems and can create health hazards.  (These tend not to be problems, however, if the models are used correctly).  If the composting toilet system is not adequately maintained, removing the end-product can be an especially unpleasant task.

Finally, composting toilets are often considerably more expensive up front than flush toilet systems. Over time, however, many composting toilets will pay for themselves as they require reduced sewage and infrastructure costs as well as producing a valuable resource end-product.

By considering both the advantages and disadvantages of a composting toilet, you should be able to fully appreciate both the benefits and responsibilities of these systems. For further information about composting toilet systems, please visit the Toilet Composting Home Page.

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