Sawdust Loo/Strawbale Urinal

[squidler]

I very much want a composting loo. We already use washable family cloth instead of toilet paper (are a pretty crunchy family in most respects..) and want to take an extra step toward dream of living off grid. But I rent at the moment, so I cant have a traditional interchangable chamber system.

But, having just read Humanure Handbook, I am thinking Sawdust Loo and Strawbale Urinal. I can use a chamber pot for pee, and the boys can use the bale and pot at night.

Anyone got a composting loo, traditional or otherwise?

TELL US ABOUT THE CLOTH

the OP can best deal with the cloth question, but generally I believe it is just like using washable nappy wipes - you keep a stack of cloth and use one or two each time then wash them.

I have v limited experience of using straw toilets at festivals, and the main problem seemed to be keeping the urine out - there was a little funnel supposed to redirect it away from the sawdust, but it kept getting blocked.

We have a composter for dog waste and it is absolutely revolting. Can't imagine what it would be like to deal with the waste from 8 humans.

sorry CRH.

S'ok

Family Cloth Wipes

Thing with convential flush toilets is they don't disappear your waste - they just purify it again and then you drink it. Well, what doesn't go straight into the ocean, that is.

Stripey, surely they should only be made with unbleached cotton

Squidler -My mate FishBob had one of these and I'm not joking that he stank. he used to put the pooped on straw all over his veg patch and sod eating at FishBob.
There are more hygenic bioloos - what are you going to do with the waste? It has to go somewhere and human faeces contains many pathogens as well as heavy metals etc. I say this as a neighbouring farmer spreads human shit on his fields and the instances of e coli etc have risen as the stupid bugger sprayed the private water supplies too.
It is your call but I fail to see how crapping on a bale will prevent the polar ice caps from melting.
And please get some toilet paper... the thought of that cloot gives me the boak.

That is not good, otter.

I think tis probably the cloth which is crunchy...

Surely they just go on the line and let the sun take care of them

GentleOtter, your friend sounds delightful , but he clearly wasn't leaving the waste to compost at all by the sounds of it -- yeurch.

It needs about 2 years I think to break down properly.

Surely your farmer is doing something highly illegal ??

After posting this note yesterday and there being no responses, I went away thinking that either no one interested or no one bothered. I pop by tonight - flurry of posts!

To answer some of the points -

We use cloth primarily because it feels nicer, softer and cleaner than paper. Try it! I know a few other people that use this system, and it really isnt that much different to using cloth nappies. In terms of ecological effect, it re-uses resources that are already here (I sew the cloths from old clothes/flannel sheeting) with an old machine that uses v. little power and only my time/energy/dareisayit - enjoyment).

I wash the cloths every other day - they live in a ceramic pot with bicarb/vinegar and tto solution when used and until they go in the machine. We do have recycled loo paper, if we choose to use it (and for visitors that prefer it), likewise, we often dampen the clothes with warm water before use if needed.

The threadworm issue is interested and concerns me - hence me trying to find others who have composting loos and so I can learn. I am educating myself on pathogens and also, seeing as my degree dissertation was on Chadwick and his influence leading to the 1848 Public Health Act and its impact, I am not interesting in engineering a new cholera outbreak!

Strawbale urinals are a pretty great way of adding nitrogen to the soil - the middle of the bale slowly composts - after about 6 months of use you can use it as a mulch around non-food producing plants. And they are a GREAT deterrent to foxes if males use it.

I did post about this once before (the family cloth thing) under my old name - squidette - there was some interesting discussion about it then too.

Oh dear. I don't want to be a sad ungreen heathen.. but family wipes and diarrhoea issues.. no no no

Poo lumps in the washer.. no no..

Or having to scrape it off first no no.... and there'd still be poo in the washer anyway wouldn't there..

The stale smell of piss.. all the time.. no no no

I have been thinking about it and wanted to be semi-convinced (if not for my own personal use, for some other peoples') but basically, no no no

I think I'm just one of those "needs basic modern plumbing" kinda girls..

*And toilet roll. Soft.

Those who want to know where the waste goes to, please look here, bottom of page, yes, the smiling man with wheelbarrow .

No it is not good. It is utterly horrendous but borderline legal apparently given that the raw material comes from the council who then PAY the farmer to spread it.
It has been a nightmare with a new baby and 22% shit in the water.No one wanted to know when cryptosporidium struck either.
And for what it is worth the straw bale bog thing is an open invitation to rodents.

these people have one, scroll to end for contact details

Oh, and 'crunchy' in my rl probably means a similar thing to 'lentil-weaver' here on mn.

Not in reference to the cloth...

Before dd2 came along, i worked for small charity who's aim was to teach children and adults how to "tread lightly". We had composting toilets there, they weren't smelly at all and there was no noise. The only weird bit was a slight draught up yer bum. I think it takes about 6 months for the compost to become useable and i know that they were pretty easy to construct.

From the family wipes website:

"Washing Wipes

If you don't have kids in diapers, I recommend washing wipes separately from the rest of your laundry. Wash in hot, dry in the dryer. You may add whatever laundry additives you desire - chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach, tea tree oil, lavender oil, stain remover, whatever. "

How green can you get hey? Bleach em and then tumble dry em - according to the manufacturer!

umm families with "normal" toilets do not share and spread threadworm then? Cannot see how cloth can contribute much more than any method used already!
I use a flannel every day pop it in with washable nappies. I find paper too abrasive.
find it incredible that people boak at washable cloths for intimate hygiene. Really shocked!!!

Family toilet cloths sound interesting, we already use cloth nappies (night), cloth trainer pants (day) and use to use cloth wipes for DD when she was in nappies full time.
I have a mooncup and cloth san pro and cloth breastpads. I hate the expense/waste of toilet paper....thinking hard...could I convince DH to use cloth wipes ?

Since we use cloth nappies the idea of cloth toilet wipes doesnt shock me. We don't flush the toilet very often here at chez Shite but that's also because we live in Spain so are very conscious of saving water.

Where do you keep the bale? In the bath? What if you have no garden?