compost toilet

[containercabin]

Hey,

I want to have a sawdust compost toilet in my cabin (12x12). This is my plan and I would love to have it critiqued:

I will use a 5 gallon bucket in a plywood box with toilet seat. From what I gather: it will take us at least a couple of months (we use the cabin once every other weekend) to fill it up. Once we do, I will just close it with a lid, punch a tiny hole in the top, and let it sit in the forest for a year or two. This will allow anaerobic to take place (mainly in the lower parts of the bucket - like in nature). I will replace that bucket with a new one and then again - so I will have probably 6-8 buckets by the time I can empty the first one.

I rather not have a compost pile.

My main question: before my bucket gets filled: we will basically have it sit in the cabin (12x12).. will that smell? do people empty it every time they go?

Also, a bit off topic: do anyone here use bio bags with their compost toilets? I read that many of them are very thin and won't be really good for this application. Anyone can recommend one that will.

[hpinson]

You will be surprised how quickly that 5 gallon bucket fills up, even with two or three people.

I saw a video on YouTube where a family does exactly what you are proposing. I guess it worked but they sure had a lot of buckets sitting in the sun.

I guess it works just as well to empty the bucket into a compost pile when full, swab with bleach/water, and begin the process again. You can get about a year of use before the bucket discolors. Handle everything with rubber gloves.  The compost pile is not at all stinky and does not attract flies, provided you keep everything covered with a good layer or organic material.  The mass of the compost pile helps build heat needed for the composting process.

Anyway, what you proposed should work provided the buckets contain enough moisture and are placed in a warm enough place.  If the buckets freeze, decomposition and composting stops.

A bucket in the cabin as you describe will not smell provided you keep everything covered with organic material - peat or sawdust, and keep the box wiped down and clean.  If too much urine accumulates and is not cut with the organic material - yes, then it may smell.  Just cover every time you use.

No idea about bio-bags. They don't seem necessary.

[containercabin]

Thanks hpinson.

[Erin]

We've been using a sawdust toilet for over 2 years.  Research "Humanure." http://humanurehandbook.com/instructions.html

Nope, no stink from either the bucket or the compost pile.  And you might be able to squeeze two months out of a single bucket, if you're only using it every other weekend...

This is the one I built for our house:

(it doesn't have to look like a bucket.  )

And this is how we "flush."

[Abbey]

I have read the same thing about the bio-bags as well, I've even heard they can tear while you're carrying them, which would not be fun by any measure of the word. You only need to empty the bucket when it's full, and there should be no smell so long as you have enough cover material.

Having used the saw-dust bucket system for over 7 years I feel I am a little qualified to dispense some advice gained through experience. My method is taking the full bucket out to a compost pile and dumping it, then cleaning the bucket and covering the pile with hay. This is how Joe Jenkins explains it in his book. It's cheap, simple, and pretty near fool proof, but dumping and cleaning the buckets is nasty, not to mention no fun when it's the middle of January, -10 F with heavy snow and you've got the flu but you have to clean the buckets because you've got no more empty buckets so you're out of a toilet. I only use soap and water to wash the buckets and only wear work gloves in the winter. I'm not too worried about getting anything on my hands because I always wash up after I'm done and I know I have no communicable diseases etc. to be concerned over. Two people who pee and poop in the bucket will fill it in a little less than one week and the bucket is pretty heavy when full, so think about where you're going to be dumping it because you'll be carrying the full bucket to that location. Also I avoid peeing in the bucket as much as possible.

If you do not pee in the bucket it will take longer to fill and be much lighter to carry, consider how often you pee and how often you poop, not to mention the pee is where you'll get most of the smell. As long as you have enough cover, i.e. sawdust, covering your business there will be no smell. What I've noticed is if there's a lot of pee in the bucket the layer of sawdust will discolor and show it's getting wet from the pee wicking up into the covering material. This, of course, does not happen if you avoid peeing in the bucket. Adding more cover will help, but if you're away for any length of time the pee will continue wicking up and you might have some ammonia smell when you get back. This quickly goes away after you add some more cover material and open up a window for a few minutes. Simple rule, if it smells, add more cover material.

As far as leaving the bucket out in the woods with a hole in the lid, what's the point? I can understand if this is to avoid cleaning the bucket after dumping, but there is a way around that issue. The UV rays from sunlight will quickly degrade the plastic bucket and make it fall apart. I don't know how long you could do this and re-use the bucket, of course if you're intention is to never re-use a bucket, no problem, but you're going to need a good supply of free or cheap buckets.

An option for re-using one bucket without having to clean it after dumping is using the bio-bags and leaving the bag in the bucket as you carry it out to your dumping site in the woods. Tie up the top of the bag and then dump it out of the bucket. You can dump it right onto the ground or dig out a small indentation for this and then cover the pile with some dirt and/or leaves. From what I've read most of the microbial activity in dirt is in the top 3 feet or so of dirt, which means you ought to be able to throw a foot of dirt on your pile without adversely impacting the composting process. The bio-bags should protect the bucket and keep it from requiring cleaning. If you're concerned with the strength of the bio-bags just double them up in the bucket. My understanding with the bio-bags is they only start to break down once they're in the sun, or after something like 6 months being outside. Shutting the toilet lid ought to give enough UV protection while you're away so the bags will not degrade before you need to dump the bucket. Also you want to make sure you're doing this where nobody will be walking, for obvious reasons.

Sorry this turned out so long, hope it helps you a little bit, and feel free to ask any questions, I'll be honest and do my best to fully answer you.

[Squirl]

I would think the bucket would need to be covered.  Even with a small hole, it would eventually fill with water.

For individuals with as little use as you plan, I have seen just use a garbage bag and toss it out with the trash when they get home.  Not eco friendly, but easy.  Weekend camp visits generate other trash anyway.  It could be an efficient use of a bag.

[hpinson]

Erin - I really like the use of the tank for a bin. Great idea!

Here's our composter - last year before it was quite finished, but already in use - no odor, and a wire mesh screen across the pile to keep out animals (which have not been a problem regardless):



Agree about UV affect on the plastic buckets. They don't last long when exposed to direct sunlight.

Jenkens has worked this all out. In case you've not seen it:

http://humanurehandbook.com/downloads/Humanure_Handbook_all.pdf

[Abbey]

hpinson,

Wow, that is amazing. My bins are sad compared to what you've built. I've never had any animals in my piles, just cluster flies in the spring, and after I add more hay covering...no more flies.