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homemade compost toilet

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 5:23 pm
by devolutionary
After looking at various extremely expensive toilet systems out there I was wondering if I could convert a standard large plastic garden composter into a toilet compost container with toilet seat attatched to the top. I could use the kind that have a door at the bottom to remove material and a large capacity so that it could be emptied less frequently than the standard bucket size concepts.
:flower:
Any thoughts?

Re: homemade compost toilet

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 8:21 pm
by boatkinson
Where there is a will, there might be a somewhat workable solution.
My past experience might answer some these questions-
http://harmoniouspalette.com/ComposToilet.html

Re: homemade compost toilet

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 8:31 pm
by Ron and Jean
That sounds like a great idea :thumbright: . You could build a wooden frame and cubicle over it with a seat and the composter below. We used to have something similar with a green wheelie bin below, not much fun to empty out :(

Goodluck

Re: homemade compost toilet

Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 9:44 am
by devolutionary
Thanks for the ideas (turns out Her Outdoors wrote this topic while I wrote an almost identical one in reuse, recycle - no one replied to mine... I'm not bitter, though).

We're trying to avoid using concrete as much as possible. I came across something about a tree bog the other week - I'll check that out. And yes, the wheelie bin would have been pretty grim. And seriously heavy...

Re: homemade compost toilet

Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 12:28 pm
by Green Aura
This looks like a great idea, but I must confess to being hopelessly confused.

It looks like you sit in full view high up over a compost bin. I know it can't be right but I've now got this image.... :oops:

Re: homemade compost toilet

Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 2:07 pm
by devolutionary
That's a very funny image!!! someone perched precariously atop a compost bin! :lol:
But it wouldn't look quite like that. There would of course be a small wooden building to house the loos, sited on a slope so that the entrance to the toilet would be a few steps up on the higher side, and, the access for the waste would be dug out a bit on the lower side to facilitate access. Complete with ventilation and solar powered fan. At least that's the plan...

Re: homemade compost toilet

Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 10:58 pm
by frozenthunderbolt
This would work best IMO if it handles the volume of waste produced and you separate the liquid waste off the solid before it enters the system.

The very best advice i can give you is to google "the humanure handbook" and get the free PDF download of it. To my knowledge, that document is the authority on composting human waste.

Re: homemade compost toilet

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 10:19 pm
by Ron and Jean
What about having 2 compost bins and two seats above. Use one till the bin is getting full then switch to the other bin/seat while nature takes it's course.....