orangeclouds115 (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} orangeclouds115) wrote in ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} daily_granola,@ 2005-08-31 00:38:00 |
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Use Composting Toilets
This post will make your wallet cringe as you read it. I usually try to find things that are cheap or free, but I think people might find this interesting.
Use Composting Toilets
Once or twice, I've heard the idea of composting toilets kicked around indaily_granola. I went looking and found a nice selection of them here. From what I can tell, you need to buy 2 things: a composter and a toilet. Each piece can run you $1000+. While I don't have a few grand to spend on a new potty, I would but *much* more worried if they were available for cheap... anything with a name like "composting toilet" better be quality!
What is a Composting Toilet System?
Newbies to composting in general may want to check out a previous post on composting. A normal yard waste composter breaks down organic waste using aerobic bacteria. Aerobic means that the bacteria need air to live. When you compost in your yard, the compost should be damp but not soaking wet. They say you should grab some in your hand and squeeze and it should be moist but if it drips it's too wet. That said, my hands are going nowhere near my compost.
Starting with that in mind, the toilet operates on more or less the same principle. Job one of your toilet is to eliminate or reduce risk for disease from your poos while keeping the stink down and eliminating all (or most) human contact with it. Job number two (no pun intended) is to "transform the nutrients in human excrement into fully oxidized, stable plant-available forms that can be used as a soil conditioner for plants and trees."
They should be able to handle toilet paper too. If you are using your composting toilet properly, they should reduce the volume of the waste to 10%-30% of its original volume.
Once your waste is broken down into what is called "humus" (makes you want to break out the pita bread), you need to make sure you follow the law to take care of it properly.
The information and the quote are taken from here (click link for beautiful diagrams and pictures). If you are seriously interested in this, I recommend you check out the link as well as Wikipedia. There are apparently VERY many options when it comes to purchasing your new eco-friendly commode and the website linked here explains quite a few choices.
Do you own a composting toilet? If yes, please enlighten us all with your comments. How did you decide which one to buy? What are they like? What should someone know before buying one?
This post will make your wallet cringe as you read it. I usually try to find things that are cheap or free, but I think people might find this interesting.
Use Composting Toilets
Once or twice, I've heard the idea of composting toilets kicked around in
daily_granola. I went looking and found a nice selection of them here. From what I can tell, you need to buy 2 things: a composter and a toilet. Each piece can run you $1000+. While I don't have a few grand to spend on a new potty, I would but *much* more worried if they were available for cheap... anything with a name like "composting toilet" better be quality!What is a Composting Toilet System?
Newbies to composting in general may want to check out a previous post on composting. A normal yard waste composter breaks down organic waste using aerobic bacteria. Aerobic means that the bacteria need air to live. When you compost in your yard, the compost should be damp but not soaking wet. They say you should grab some in your hand and squeeze and it should be moist but if it drips it's too wet. That said, my hands are going nowhere near my compost.
Starting with that in mind, the toilet operates on more or less the same principle. Job one of your toilet is to eliminate or reduce risk for disease from your poos while keeping the stink down and eliminating all (or most) human contact with it. Job number two (no pun intended) is to "transform the nutrients in human excrement into fully oxidized, stable plant-available forms that can be used as a soil conditioner for plants and trees."
They should be able to handle toilet paper too. If you are using your composting toilet properly, they should reduce the volume of the waste to 10%-30% of its original volume.
Once your waste is broken down into what is called "humus" (makes you want to break out the pita bread), you need to make sure you follow the law to take care of it properly.
The information and the quote are taken from here (click link for beautiful diagrams and pictures). If you are seriously interested in this, I recommend you check out the link as well as Wikipedia. There are apparently VERY many options when it comes to purchasing your new eco-friendly commode and the website linked here explains quite a few choices.
Do you own a composting toilet? If yes, please enlighten us all with your comments. How did you decide which one to buy? What are they like? What should someone know before buying one?
