Has anyone had experience with compost toilets? Most of the ones I see advertised are expensive to buy, though once they are in place, there would be savings on the water bill. Does anyone know how to build a compost toilet? Does anyone use an outhouse (perhaps all of you live in cities? - in which case it is probably illegal to have one)? I've seen compost toilets that incinerate the waste. I've seen others that a person is supposed to throw a handful of peat Moss or some such thing in after each use. I even saw a house plan that had two chutes. One chute was used for 6 months, then it was closed off and the other chute was used. After 6 months, the waste in the first chute had become safe to handle. It could be cleaned out, then used, while the 2nd chute lay fallow (so to speak). I think these things could really save water - especially where I live, because we are in drought conditions and have water restrictions currently in place.
Glad to see this thread! I've been reading about compost toilets for years now, and yes, the systems are initially expensive to install. I've been keeping an eye on innovative technology to help solve that issue. What's needed is a less expensive toilet system that uses little to no water. Well, last year I read about an energy-generating solar-powered toilet designed by Caltech. This solar-powered toilet won a $100,000 prize from the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, through the "Reinvent the Toilet Challenge". This is not a composting toilet, but one that uses an electrochemical reaction, and stored fuel cells to generate energy. Quite brilliant, as we know that matter is not lost, but just changes form, and can be changed into energy. I think it's going to be a huge boon to not only impoverished countries, where our costly sanitation systems aren't an option, but will also help in more affluent countries. If you'd like to read more, here are links to coverage about that energy-generating solar-powered toilet: Log In Log In
I have heard of these, I was in a doctors office and they were airing some program about conservation. The compost toilet was mentioned and they featured a woman who had one. I remember her talking about the fact that guest in her home would have an issue with this, so she decided to have a conventional toilet as well for use by those who visit her home and don't want to use the compost toilet. To be completely honest with you, I have some issue with this as well. I'm not sure I could use a compost toilet. I wouldn't mind using the kind of toilet that are out there on the market now that use less water. I think these are also a great way to save on your water bill, but unfortunately just like the compost toilet these aren't cheap to buy.
Wow i think these are must know things, now water scarcity is more it is time to utilise new invented things to live better. I also facing the non availabity of water, i will try to get these things .
I hadn't heard of these toilets until this post, but that is good that there are options to save money on your water bill and conserve water. I think I might check into these now that I know about them. Thanks for the information.
Yeah what are these compost toilets. I guess they save water from our pee, that sounds pretty much gross.
Yeah what are these compost toilets afterall. There has been a lot of frenzy over this topic i guess.
Thank you so much for this information Celestial Sky. I definitely have to read those articles and find out more about this innovative technology. Compost toilets have not personally heard anything about; but I do know about outhouses, and if they're anything like outhouses, I wouldn't like to use those because I think outhouses are disgusting!
The well established clivus multrum is a true composting toilet and has been popular for years in areas with limited water or not suited for septic tanks. The system developed by the Gates foundation looks interesting, and I plan on studying about it for my blog. Some areas restrict the use of clivus multrum toilets, primarily due to ignorance.
You have to be sure they comply with any local regulations, depending on where you live. You don't want a sewage smell in your house or in your back yard or where ever you choose to put your waste disposal unit. You want to save money and still be clean.
I have rented several houses that had a composting toilet, but never inside the house. Here in Australia, composting toilets tend to be separate buildings, usually in your backyard. A lot of people just set up a simple system by digging out a deep enough hole and creating a toilet on top of it. The most common ingredient used to keep the toilet odourless and decomposing quickly, is sawdust. In all the time that I used such a toilet the composting material just kept breaking down so fast that the toilet was never filling up to its full capacity.
