Anyone use composting toilet?

[trof]

I'm considering it.

[WifeofPurgedVoter]

1. Humanure Handbook by Joseph Jenkins

We haven't put in a composting toilet. Our septic system is a
constructed wetland for on site waste water treatment.
However, after reading the Humanure Handbook, I think that you
might rethink the composting toilet and try his system. It
makes lots of sense and doesn't cost much. The "ick"
factor keeps this from being seriously considered by most
people, which is a real shame. The book is available online at
http://www.jenkinspublishing.com/humanure.html. 

[jeffreyi]

2. yes

I've used the Humanure Handbook style composting system for almost four years now...it works great. The "ick" factor mentioned above is not that big a deal, for me anyway. The whole system cost next to nothing as I used scrap wood and pallets for the composting bins, and old straw and hay and so on for the cover materials. I get sawdust locally, from a small sawmill. There has been absolutely no problem with odor, flies, or other unpleasantness, and the finished compost is very benign, it goes around the trees and shrubbery.

[WifeofPurgedVoter]

3. Ick factor

My problem is with the other household members, I could happily use the Humanure system and clean it myself. It make so much sense. I keep working at it.

I read a story the other day about an area in the Middle East - sorry don't remember exact location - about overflowing septic systems. The story featured was about a woman who lost a baby and grandmother to a sewage wave when the system overflowed into the housing area. The same story spoke of raw sewage being dumped in the Med. How much better to transform all that "waste" into greening the desert.

[Shoelace]

4. just heard, septic tanks draining into ocean in Hawaii

specifically on the island of Oahu. Daughter's friend lives on the windward side, says it's become a huge problem there.

[kestrel91316]

5. If I lived in the countryside, I would have a sawdust bucket toilet

in preference to disposing of my waste into precious drinking water. I'd probably have a normal toilet for when family visits, because I just can't picture my sister ever going for the bucket thing. When we used to go camping as kids, SHE was the one who objected to the cat-hole-behind-the-bush thing.........

I, OTOH, with my degree in microbiology, have a rather bland view of human waste. As long as it doesn't contaminate food or drinking water (and that really isn't difficult unless you're a lazy pig), I don't have a problem with composting the stuff. It's nutrition that needs to be returned to the land, not dumped into someone's fishing grounds a la Gulf Dead Zone.

[phantom power]

6. I've heard they work fine, as long as you keep the system aerobic.

the only one I ever used was hiking up the Grand Canyon, and I was mostly focused on keeping my systems aerobic that day. My memory of the toilet is hazy. But it didn't stink.

[happyslug]

7. Used on the local bike trail for the last few years, no problems so far.

For more on the Ghost town Trail:

http://www.indianacountyparks.org/parks/gtt/gtt.html

The Stable Bend Tunnel trail also has such toilet, but this time run by the National Park Service, not a Rails to trail group.

In either case I have not seen or heard of any problems.

[Tumbulu]

8. I used one for 9 months and it was horrendous - it really stank and cockroaches bred in it.

I love insects in general and am an organic farmer, but this was way too much. I would never recommend one for the inside of a house.

I have used good ones, but these have all been housed in their own separate structures, sort of green outhouses. As long as they are in a structure designed for the composting toilet and someone is taking good care of it- turning it properly, then it should be fine.

But don't replace a normal toilet with one inside of a house. This one did not work, it cost over $2000 and then had to be replaced eventually with a normal toilet again.