Returning human waste to the land is nothing new, nor is the composting of human waste. Cities across North America have been spreading human waste effluent on farm land for decades, serving the needs of farmers for fertilizer and City administrators for a cost-effective way of disposing of sewage sludge.
However, there are downsides to spreading sewage biosolids onto farmlands, including the fact that sewage treatment plants do not remove heavy metals and industrial chemicals found in abundance in city sewage, prior to spreading the waste.
A composting toilet system, using little or no water, is designed to aerobically treat human excrement by allowing it to decompose naturally. This is typically a faster way to treat human waste when compared to the wastewater methods, such as the septic systems used in most urban areas. The most important attribute, however, may be the saving of thousands of gallons of water annually.
Nutrients salvaged from composted human waste matter are returned to the land in a safe, cost-effective and ‘green’ way. Whereas raw sewage releases chemicals and pathogens onto the farmer’s land, the composted matter is free from industrial chemicals and pathogens have been destroyed through the natural process of aerobic decomposition long before the nutrient-rich material is returned to the land.
How a Composting Toilet Works
While there are many varieties of composting toilets available and they are used all around the world, all composting systems rely on a basic process involving the collection of human excreta into a composter chamber where a bulking agent (such as sawdust or peat moss) is added to create air pockets for maximum aerobic processing and where decomposition will occur as a result of bacteria breaking down the waste into its various components. The bacteria consume some of the waste during breakdown, reducing the volume of the matter and eliminating pathogens in the process. The one essential in all composting systems is proper ventilation.
The composting chamber is typically emptied into a second ‘finishing’ chamber, after which the fully decomposed matter, referred to as ‘humus’, is available for application on gardens, flower beds, lawns and farm land. The frequency of chamber emptying depends on the speed of decomposition and the capacity of the chamber(s). Active, hot decomposition would be facilitated by a heating source and would reduce the composting time to a few short months, whereas passive, cold composting may require a year or more for complete decomposition. As with any composting system, the volume of matter decreases as the waste is consumed and broken down by the bacteria.
Rapid composting can be encouraged by using fans for aeration, heating elements to maintain optimal temperatures for bacteria to thrive and the addition of ‘starter’ bacteria to ensure the presence of bacteria early in the process, although none of these options are essential to the process. Many commercial units have drum-like chambers which facilitate the regular mixing (turning) of the waste matter as it decomposes, further speeding the decomposition process.
Where Composting Toilet Systems are Used
Many advancements have been made in the composting toilet industry resulting in the availability of entire systems for buildings, under-floor models featuring a chamber which can be located in a basement or outdoors and models for high-volume and year-round applications.
Composting toilets are particularly well suited for cottages because of their easy installation, low maintenance features and water-free process which means a cottager need not worry about frozen water lines or off-season maintenance. There are many efficient and effective composting toilet systems on the market today, but for those handy folk, home-made composting systems are still very popular. The most enduring feature of composting toilets is their simplicity, ease of installation and the fact they decompose matter without wasting water resources or damaging environmentally sensitive areas.
Composting toilets are increasingly found in public facilities around the world. For example, the C.K.Choi Building at the University of British Columbia, Canada features 12 toilet stools serving 300 employees, all of which are emptied into 5 composting toilet systems. In Sweden, composting toilet facilities are offered to the travelling public along Highway E6. Don’t be surprised to see composting toilets in some of the most elegantly designed homes around.
Waterless Toilets are the Ultimate Eco-friendly Waste Managers
Composting toilets are extremely eco-friendly, odor-less, incredibly efficient and effective and surprisingly low-maintenance. They are available in all complexities from home-made to multi-chamber systems and in all price ranges and designs. Considering the average water toilet consumes 6 gals of water per flush and returns nothing to the environment, composting toilets may very well be the win-win solution for most home, office and cottage waste management needs. What’s more, the garden and flower beds will thank you for the non-chemical fertilizer treat.
Other Interesting Articles:
- Certification of Composting Toilets
- Environmentally Friendly Toilets for the Home by the Sexy Green Home
Source:
- OMAFRA Staff, Province of Ontario, Canada (Sept 2009) “Sewage Biosolids - Managing Urban Nutrients Responsibly for Crop Production”
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Grace Joubarne - Welcome! I'm a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist practicing from a main office located in Ottawa, Ontario Canada and satellite offices ...
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