Composting toilets have been emerging onto the scene lately with more people opting to use them as an eco-friendly way to reduce waste. More than just a trend, composting toilets can have serious benefits for you and the environment.
In this article, we will cover some of the most common questions asked when it comes to disposing of waste from a composting toilet.
Do You Have to Empty a Composting Toilet?
Yes, you do need to empty a composting toilet, but it isn’t as bad as you imagine! The difference between a composting toilet and a toilet system that is plumbed in is that some composting toilets collect urine and solid waste separately without the use of water, so the results are not as messy or smelly.
Since composted toilets are not plumbed in the waste must go somewhere and eventually will get full and need to be emptied.
What do you do with urine from the composting toilet?
Some composting toilets mix urine in with solid waste and it becomes part of the composting process that treats the human waste and turns it into useable compost.
Other composting toilets will divert the urine and urine can be emptied separately into dump stations designed for travellers with grey water tanks. Dump stations become part of the regular sewerage system and are often treated to be recycled.
Where does pee go in a composting toilet?
Many composting toilets will collect both urine and solid waste into one collection point and then go through the composting process altogether.
Urine divergent composting toilets are designed to collect urine separate from the solid waste in its own specific receptacle. This is an advantage as the lack of moisture in the solid waste section makes for a more efficient composting process.
How do you dispose of waste from different types of composting toilets?
The point of composting toilets is to take human waste and, using microorganisms and bacteria, break it down into useable compost. You can safely use this compost in your garden to provide nutrients to your plants. Compost that is ready will look and feel just like topsoil and will be of great use in the garden.
If you don’t have a garden or you are travelling them you can safely dispose of your toilets compost almost anywhere. It can go into a trash bin and have no adverse effects or you can dig a hole and bury it in a park.
How long do you have to wait before you can dispose of the waste?
Most composting toilets will have a system that either rotates receptacles (so that one is composting while the other is being used and vice versa) or is a continuous composting system.
Composting toilets for travel purposes are designed so that waste can be disposed of safely anytime it is full. If you are going to use this waste for the garden it is recommended is to leave it to compose and aerate separately for at least 2 months.
How do we dispose of human waste safely?
Human waste contains a lot of harmful bacteria and can cause illness if ingested or if it contaminates water sources. Parasites and diseases are also passed on through human waste.
In modern society, human waste is disposed of through sewerage systems. The invention of these systems of world-changing and had a positive effect on human health in areas it has been implemented in.
Waste is then treated at sewerage treatment plants to reduce any harmful bacteria then released in rivers or the ocean. It is treated enough that it does not affect the environment but if it is not treated properly then it can have serious adverse effects on the eco-system. This often happens when sewerage systems are overloaded or there is a leak or break-in pipes, which does happen.
Many eco-friendly people are opting for composting toilets to ensure they are responsibly treating their waste so there’s no risk of their waste contributing to environmental degradation.
Can you use human waste for fertilizer?
If it is properly composted and treated, yes you can use waste for fertilizer. It’s best to not use composted human waste on edible plants as there’s a risk it was not properly composted at home.
How often do you have to empty a composting toilet?
It depends on how often you use it, how much toilet paper you use and the size of the toilet. Most standard composted toilets handle 60-80 uses and for couples, it usually takes 1 – 2 months until it needs to be emptied.
How do you speed up the decomposition of human waste?
The addition of sunlight, heat, insects and bacteria can all help speed up the decomposition of human waste.
Is human feces a hazardous waste?
Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) covers the definition of hazardous waste. Under these guidelines, human feces are considered hazardous waste and needs to follow disposal standards to reduce the risk of contamination.
Is composted toilet waste hazardous waste?
If the compost has been properly treated then the human waste can be turned from hazardous waste into safe and useable compost. There are a lot fewer restrictions around composted waste than regular waste.
Can you burn human poop?
You can burn human feces. If a lack of other disposal methods is available then burning can help you dispose of waste. When burnt feces will turn into a gas that may be harmful in large quantities so it isn’t recommended for large scale amounts of waste.
Modern technologies are emerging that capture the gas from burning human waste and use it as a renewable biofuel – this may be the future!
Should a compost bin be in sun or shade?
If you live in a cooler climate putting your compost bin in the sun can help increase the compost temperature and help quicken the composting. If your climate is really hot then it is best to keep it in the shade as extreme temperatures can kill the useful composting bacteria.
