With
water shortages and pollution becoming major issues around the world there are many things we need to transform in order to create more harmonious ways of living on the planet. One of the ways we can start is with a
compost toilet!
Unfortunately the name and stigma attached makes people think of smelly pit latrines that were a feature of a past they would like to leave behind. But
modern composting toilets are clean, efficient and as pleasant smelling as any regular WC.
Composting toilets effectively
recycle human fecal waste into usable material that can eventually be used to enhance the soil. There are many options for composting toilets from simple DIY models to sophisticated
commercial products. Some use electricity or
solar power to ventilate the air and increase microbial activity, thus hastening the breakdown of waste. Waterless composting toilets ensure that houses can remain occupied even when water is shut off for periods of time – especially useful during dry and
hurricane seasons.
Compost toilet advocate
Joseph Jenkins has made his book
‘Humanure’ available to download for free and in this book you can read how to make your own compost toilet for around $25.
The Composting Toilet System book and
online tuition from Oikos are also great resources that can make you very enthusiastic about alternative waste management!
Given enough time the waste product reduces its volume to just 10-30% of the original mass and therefore you are not left with much to deal with.The Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales uses a system that produces rich, odorless and pathogen free compost over a period of 2 years although it can be produced faster in different systems and with the heat of the tropical environment.
Even if using a no-water compost toilet is a little extreme for your tastes you can still be part of the eco-revolution with low flush toilets or, at the very least, by putting a brick in your regular toilet cistern to use less water.
When a tree dies in the forest it rots naturally with the help of microorganisms and provides fertilizer for new shoots coming through the ground - nature produces no pollution. Compost toilets allow humans to be as smart as the forest and make effective, productive use of what is considered waste.
