Eco-Toilet

[Ruthybee]

Hello there!

I am doing some research into eco-toilets in the UK and was wondering if anyone has one and what kind of system that they use.

Any information is much appreciated.

Kindest,

Ruth

[Toby Allen]

Hello Ruth, email me [email protected] I'll happily talk toilets

[tracy]

BTW Ruth, Toby is well known to us, and lovely. You are in good toilet hands ;-)

[greyman]

Is this a que for some toilet humour....

Greyman

[Bulworthy Project]

We have a toilet which contains an IBC which is basicly a 1000 litre plastic container. The solids drop into that and we add dry leaves, or chainsaw chippings if we have visitors. The leaves break down quicker and contain bacteria and fungi that help to break down the solids. The chainsaw chippings are cleaner and do not contain insects etc.. which may suprise our guests. After 2 years the contents become a nutrient-rich compost which is safe for food use. We do not however use it to grow food as some of our more squeemish guests would not appreciate knowing that there food had been grown in it. It takes us more than two years to fill the container. The toilet has a seperator which removes the urine and this goes into a container containing charcoal finnings, with a mesh base. The charcoal finings filter the urine and soak up the nutrient content. This charcoal is then used to enrich our hedges. The toilet cost us £300 to build. We also have a urinal which is another container filled with charcoal with a mesh base.

[Emma S]

we have just built a similar system to that described above - the idea of leaves is a good one, I had wondered about 'priming' it with a bit of soil or the like. We have a urine separator and are wondering what to do with the stuff at the moment. We also recently built some pit toilets for short term use - they were great and the absence of smell was fantastic - so much better than a chemical toilet alternative.

[Bulworthy Project]

I forgot to say that we remove one IBC whilst the next is being filled.

[Henrietta]

When I was a child, my grandfather had an outside toilet. It was three deep holes in the ground and a three seated piece of wood. No, it wasn't for communal sharing. It was because having three holes, it would fill up and partly compost down, enabling the whole structure to stay in place for some time before moving. As he had a small farm, there was plenty of space. I can't say I enjoyed it much, having to wander down in the dark sometimes.

[northmetking]

We visited the Bulworthy Project last week, and I can confirm that their IBC system is very clean and efficient, and the toilet itself is almost luxurious, especially compared to the bucket we were using for the first few days in our newly-acquired woodland.

You may also wish to have a look at Richard Higgins' toilet system, which breaks down human waste into usable compost in just a few weeks

He is based at the Well End Permaculture Centre in Hertfordshire. He explains it better than I can here:

http://www.permacultureforum.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=896

We visited the site last year on behalf of Transition Hertford, and made a short video which you can see here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCAr63LmDl4

This system has been used to great effect in Haitian refugee camps following the devastating earthquake, as discussed here:

http://www.permacultureglobal.com/projects/512-the-howard-higgins-thermophilic-compost-site-at-saint-marie-port-au-prince-haiti

[austino]

Hi I bought a plastic toilet which is basically a seat on a toilet shaped open ended bucket. I dig a hole about 18" deep place the toilet over. Toilet paper is kept separate and burnt and the hole when getting near full has the excavated soil place on top and dig another hole. This process literally takes minutes and is no hassle. The toilet is moved around limiting any impact. I have favoured this over digging big pits etc. I was told also by keeping to the top 18" of the woodland floor the waste is broken down far quicker and was told approx 6 months wouldbreak down waste returning it to compost. The other advantage when sitting on the loo you have varied scenery!