Do Composting Toilets Work?

The 2016 Great NEWS posts are dedicated to Holistic Habits to help us be happy and healthy. Today’s post investigates the advantages and disadvantages of composting toilets. This topic has been on my mind for over a year as I contemplate the various services, systems and utilities necessary for developing and operating an eco friendly community on my property in Belize. When you are committed to conservation,  environment, permaculuture, renewable energy, sustainability and world peace you will go above and beyond to do the right things. Being committed to educate, influence and inspire other people to be more eco conscious and eco friendly I must consider all the viable options available. Composting toilets may be great news or stinking stuff depending on a wide range of factors during the construction, design and location.

Composting toilets may be great news or stinking stuff depending on a wide range of factors during the construction, design and location.

The quality of the air, land and water is a vital part of our planning at Maya Mountain Belize. Therefore whatever can be done to minimize and prevent water contamination, environmental damage and waste and is important to the mission, values and vision for our Belize Sanctuary Eco Community. If it helps reduce our water footprint and fossil fuels dependency while promoting a  more sustainable lifestyle it deserves consideration.

My first experience with composting toilets was on my grandparent farm near San Antonio, Texas. In reality is was a simple outhouse placed over a hole in the ground about 200 feet from the farm house. It was a very basic design and did have some unpleasant issues while servicing the intended purpose.

Fast forward to today which finds me looking for better composting toilet choices and designs.

Recently I have been studying various composting toilets to determine which ones might be the best choice for my eco community and permaculture project in Belize. My goal is build ones that will accommodate residents and visitors and also help other people become more familiar with the many advantages and benefits of composting toilets. These will help protect the ground water from contamination, be sustainable and stop wasting water.

Composting Toilets are Eco Friendly

Did you know that most flushing toilets waste an excessive amount of clean water every time you flush. Does it seem ridiculous or smart to waste clean water to flush urine (which is mostly water) down the drain? There are many ways to start using composting toilets or at least grey water or recycled water to be more sustainable. Almost anyone can begin to learn about composting toilet systems and grey water and black water systems. This way when the opportunity presents itself you are ready to consider a composting toilet before going with a flushing toilet and septic tank or waste water system.

Composting toilets are an eco friendly method of processing human waste because you reduce your energy, water and waste water foot print. Composting toilets are gaining popularity as more people see the cost savings, environmental advantages and water savings. There are many places in the world where composting toilets will work and using them is just good common sense. They are good for people and good for the planet.

 Advantages of Composting Toilets

Composting toilets may be the smart choice for many businesses, bus stops, farms, homes, parks, rest stops, trailer parks, train stations and truck stops. When we wake up to the fact that we are wasting billions of gallons of clean water to flush toilets we may be intelligent enough see that composting toilets are a smart choice for a better and more sustainable solution than continually using flush toilets. Composting toilets are a great choice for many sites with low density population because sewer lines and waste water treatment are very costly and wasteful.

Benefits of Composting Toilets

Composting toilets are a great choice for many sites with low density population because sewer lines and waste water treatment are very costly and wasteful.

There are many benefits to using composting toilets.

1. Composting toilets are  easy and efficient ways to capture and convert human waste into harmless by products.
2. Composting toilets can be used in many different locations more effectively than flush toilets. Composting toilets are the future of many remote waste water system situations.
3. Composting toilets require minimal energy and water without water contamination and usage of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and oil) based systems.
4. Almost any one can build a composting toilet with minimal costs and materials to deal with human waste easily. There are too many people and places around the planet that use out houses, septic systems, slit trenches or the bare ground to deal with human waste which allows drinking water and homes to be contaminated with fecal bacteria.
5. Compost toilets can be used close to creeks, lakes and rivers that are used for community use as drinking water to prevent contamination.
6. Some composting toilets could be used to provide an abundant, reliable and safe source of energy to operate various projects..
7. Composting toilets do not require the use of excessive sewer drains and waste water treatment plants. Many waste water system overflow in the rainy season and release dangerous and harmful bacteria and pathogens that seriously damage our water ways.
8. Composting toilets could capture the animal waste from CAFO and produce energy to run facilities.
9. Many areas with a water shortage could benefit from composting toilets to save water.
10. When we fully calculate and factor in the environmental damage, maintenance, materials, money, resources and time expended for conventional flushing toilets it is clear the system in many locations is not sustainable. In many developing countries composting toilets are a great choice to improve the populations health and sanitation. The environmental damage, health costs and long term risks of not using composting toilets is too great to ignore.

Healthy Habits

The Healthy Habits 2016 series is dedicated to sharing simple steps for sustainable health and well being. Composting toilets is a very low cost system for processing a large percentage of our animal and human waste which is great for us and the environment. Imagine if more people committed to installing and using composting toilets to create a better and more cost effect animal and human waste treatment solution and system.

What is your current Gap?

What have you heard about composting toilets? Can you think of places where composting toilets make good sense? Have you been to a camp grounds, community, farm, roadside park or other place where composting toilets make sense? Imagine the benefits of building an eco friendly and sustainable compost toilet system. What will it take for more people to switch from wasteful flush toilets to composting toilets instead? When would now be a great time to learn more about the advantages of composting toilets and demand more of these eco friendly products?

Mastery Action Plan (MAP)

There is a wealth of wisdom on the internet about the many advantages of composting toilets. You will find some great information on the Clivus Multrum and Sun-Mar website. What other information will inspire you to take small steps soon?  Web Life  has some great information on composting toilets to help you learn more about the full potential they offer. Lets Go Green has a helpful article on how composting toilets work. When we invest the energy, money and time to maximize the full advantages of composting toilets we will make giant steps to improve the health and well being of many people around the world.

Call to Action

What comments, commitments or concerns come to mind regarding the many advantages of composting toilets? Are you ready to learn more and support this movement for economical and ecological sustainability?

Next week the Great NEWS blog will share:

Okra is OK

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