Anyone here use a composting toilet?

[livinlightly]

Len & Jeanne,

Good question! I'm curious how others dispose of their full composting toilets? Our goal is to make rich soil from it!

We have several buckets that if we fill then we can seal and store until we are at our garden or a discrete place we can burry it.

One of the reasons we chose this method is to have a smaller negative impact on the environment...so sealing it in plastic bag and sending it off to a landfill does not help the environment much.

I would love to hear other folks solutions!

[Len n Jeanne]

In a stationary setting, I would probably designate a special compost pit for the "humanure", layer it as usual, and then use it around trees and shrubs, vs. vegetables growing in the dirt; though off-the-ground veggies like pole beans should be OK.

We will try out the new "system" in a couple of weeks, when a mini-family reunion will put us in the Bambi as our overflow guest accommodations.

I agree, the plastic bags aren't a great environmental solution, but taking sewage home in the back of the truck doesn't seem wonderful, either. The up-side, if this plastic bag/peat moss system works, is that it should really cut down on our water and battery use. We often boondock, including in places with no water on site, so have to run the pump for conventional flushes; and often have to refill the fresh water tank from jerry cans.

There are bio-degradable plastic bags, but I had a couple that I stored too long, and they just turned into handfuls of plastic flakes. Not what we want to deal with on a camping trip.

[andreasduess]

One thing to keep in mind when disposing the compost, if you're using hormone based birth control, the pill, then there will be residue in the compost.

Ideally you won't reintroduce those into the food chain, meaning using it in your veggie garden isn't the best idea.The trees probably won't mind much.

[Globie64]

Hormones and parasites, maybe not yours but a visitor may introduce something. Sorry to be gross, but it is a thread about composting toilets. I would like to be able to use them where we are, rural area with restrictive septic codes and limited water resources.

I wonder if burying the stuff to compost it, mixed 50/50 with native soil, for a year and then planting in it or using it for compost around plants would do away with the pathogen issue?

[livinlightly]

@Globie64 From what I have read when you compost the waste with the right nitrogen & moisture the residual heat is enough to kill any pathogens. This coupled with waiting at least 6-months to use it gives any potential pathogens plenty of time to die off on their own.

We have placed our first two buckets of waste in a heap mixed with grass clippings and garden debris + water and I am amazed at the heat it puts off. Seems to be working...

[livinlightly]

@Len n Jeanne Would love to hear how it works for you folks!

We have revised our covering to include some cedar bedding chips with the peat moss (at a ratio of about 4 handfuls peat-moss to 1 handful cedar). Plus we put an initial 2-3 inches of cedar chips at the bottom of the bucket before we use it. We have found that the cedar chips help absorb more of the liquid and they have a pleasant smell

"but taking sewage home in the back of the truck doesn't seem wonderful, either."

Agreed that hauling raw sewage is not a good idea...that's one reason we don't have a black tank! Full buckets are easy to securely seal, don't smell and they are easy to toss onto the compost heap when we get home. So far so good...

[Globie64]

Thanks Livinlightly- Im sure there is a way to make this work.

[Len n Jeanne]

Since we need a system for camping trips, not stationary year-round living, we are just now trying out the following system:

Line the drained & dry toilet bowl with a large extra-sturdy plastic bag. Add some peat moss. Layer with peat moss after uses. Carefully tie up waste bag and dispose in garbage. The added absorbent material seems really necessary. TP alone doesn't do it.

So far so good after one night's experiment.

Actually we are home now, but we have a full house with six relatives visiting, so we're in the aluminum annex.

[milroth49]

Hello all. I am remodeling a '73 Overlander and have purchased a Natures Head toilet. I have had one on my sailboat for 5 years and like it a lot. I have friends that have the Air Head and when you put the two side by side the Air Head looks like a garage-built prototype. I find no real difference in the operation - have to remove the urine container in both. The Natures Head seems to be a more advanced design and constructed better with better materials.

[andreasduess]

That's good to know. The only reason I was leaning towards the Air Head is that the content of the waste container doesn't get exposed, if I understand correctly, with that model.

[Globie64]

That was my take on the Nature's Head vs the Air Head. Then NH was the better looking of the two and the appeared to be the better made.

Livnlightly, re composting heat: I totally get that the heat generated by decay kills pathogens, but it's not always assured that it gets that hot, and some are worse than others.

[JimmyT]

We are half way into our Air Head install. To get the AH lower to the floor we sawed off the black tank standpipe from the watered toilet and the vent stub up to the vent pipe. Covered both holes with flashing, caulk, duct tape. Left black tank in place. Having trouble splicing into hot wires that go down under the black tank - purple and white run the lights; these wires are not switched which is what I need to keep the muffin fan going 24X7. The little "splicing" gizmo I bought from Home Depot just isn't making contact; I may resort to wire nuts but don't know if they'll hold up long term with all the vibration?
Should be fully operational after a day of labor on Labor Day weekend. Sigh; so we won't be going out in the AS for that holiday.

While the differences between NH and AH seem to sound more like the "Ford" vs. "Chevy" discussions in my younger years, each have their plus and minus points and we considered both. We thought the removal of the liquids bottle and the solids tank was easier with the AH. Plus because AH doesn't need to tilt to empty the solids we could fit it a wee bit closer to the back wall. On paper, at least.