There are lots of options for the disposal of human waste
today. Flush toilets are of course the most popular at least in developed countries, followed by the well known
Outhouse, but there are other options for unusual applications such as in
remote cabins and sustainable homesteads such as chemical toilets, incinerating
toilets, and finally, our choice, composting sawdust toilets.
I ruled out a flushable toilet because of its wastefulness
when it comes to water. I ruled out an outhouse because the idea of that on a
hot summer day just turns my stomach. Chemical toilets are not environmentally
friendly and expensive to maintain in the long run. Incinerating toilets are
ridiculously expensive and terribly ugly. I chose the sawdust toilet which is
affectionately known as the Loveable Loo.
The sawdust toilet is kind of a misnomer. I really don’t have to use sawdust exclusively, but can use wood shavings, peat moss, and straw as
well. The system is super simple and relatively inexpensive. Once the bucket is
full you empty it into a compost bin, compost for a period of time to break
down the matter into rich, safe soil and use it to fertilize plants around your
property.
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| Loveable Loo |
So, let me go into some detail about how this toilet system
works in our house. First, if you have been reading this blog for very long you
will know already that I don’t plan to use toilet paper. I know. Get over the
shock. Go ahead. Freak out a little. I will be using Family Cloth (click here
to read my blog post about family cloth).
Family cloth is basically fabric wipes that you use, wash, and reuse.
Just like cloth diapers, Family Cloth eliminates the disposable and
environmentally unfriendly factors and costs tied to using commercially
produced toilet paper. Even though toilet paper is compostable, we chose to go
with Family Cloth, you could use toilet paper in a Loveable Loo without issue.
Secondly, because I will not be drilling a well or digging
a septic for a long time, I don’t want to have a flush style toilet. A
Loveable Loo uses no water and is, in fact, designed to remove the liquid
component of poo. Poo is 90% liquid. Once you get rid of the liquid you are
left with greatly reduced bulk. This
bulk, combined with the organic matter is then emptied into a compost bin where
it is broken down by bacteria and heat. Once it has broken down into a rich
loam, you can then spread it in your garden. The time to process your poo
depends on quantity and your environment, but where I own land it will take
between two to six months (based on outside temperature and humidity) to break
down into safe compost.
Constructing a Loveable Loo is very easy. Broken down into
its parts, a Loveable Loo is a five gallon bucket, a toilet seat, and whatever
box you construct to conceal the bucket. There are some that are very fancy and
some that are very simple. Mine will be custom built into my 3 x 6’ bathroom
so that a hinged lid will conceal the bucket and the toilet seat with lid will
be attached to it. There will be a lidded spot built into the custom built top
to conceal a container where I can store the straw and a scoop to add it to
the bucket. In addition, I have plans for a solar powered fan to turn on when I need to remove particularly unpleasant odors before they invade the rest of
the small house. Please see my picture I have drawn of what it will look like
and how to assemble your own Loveable Loo.
For more information about composting poo, I suggest the
book Humanure Handbook by Joseph Jenkins. For pictures of the Loveable Loo and
more information and resources on humanure, please visit the website www. http://humanurehandbook.com.
Questions, problems, or concerns with composting toilets?
Please feel free to drop us and email at Contacto@RanchoNoDinero.com or
leave a comment below.
