Allotments 4 All

Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: sutton girl on September 22, 2007, 18:43:23

Title: how can we build a composting loo
Post by: sutton girl on September 22, 2007, 18:43:23
Hi do's any one have any instruction on how to build a composting loo for our allotment as we would like to make one if we can.
Title: Re: how can we build a composting loo
Post by: Multiveg on September 22, 2007, 18:49:49
My first suggestion would be to contact/go to The Centre for Alternative Technology (www.cat.org.uk). They sell books on humanure and composting.....

No 1's are easier to deal with - you could use a straw bale for it, or use a container to pour on the compost heap (great compost activator).

No 2's - well, I don't know a lot about this, but preferably, this should be dealt with separately to No 1's.

There are companies that sell toilets which try to keep 1's and 2's separately.
Title: Re: how can we build a composting loo
Post by: Baccy Man on September 23, 2007, 07:55:43
Read the Humanure Handbook (http://www.jenkinspublishing.com/humanure.html) you can download a free copy or buy a hard copy if you prefer.
Title: Re: how can we build a composting loo
Post by: Larkshall on September 25, 2007, 19:39:50
You are really talking about an "Earth Closet", a wooden hut about four feet by two and a half to three feet, with a seat (with a hole in it) and no floor. Dig a hole in the ground and place the hut over it. Anchor it down well. If you want full instructions, try to get a copy of "The Specialist" a very small book by Charles Sale. This book is one of the most successful, my copy is one of the 698th thousand at the time, cost £1.25 in 1979. It was first published in 1930.
Title: Re: how can we build a composting loo
Post by: antipodes on October 01, 2007, 14:09:07
There is quite a lot of info on the Net about "dry toilets":
http://www.cat.org.uk/information/catinfo.tmpl?command=search&db=catinfo.db&eqSKUdatarq=InfoSheet_CompostingToilets (http://www.cat.org.uk/information/catinfo.tmpl?command=search&db=catinfo.db&eqSKUdatarq=InfoSheet_CompostingToilets)
or
http://www.oursoil.org/drytoilet.php (http://www.oursoil.org/drytoilet.php)

try searching under various names, such as composting toilet, compost human waste etc
sounds like a good initiative! In Oz there are usually composting loos in the national parks and many outdoor places, I found them to be great, they don't smell if they are properly built and maintained.