| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Andy B |
Composting toiletsDoes anyone have one?Do they smell ? Can you have one indoors ? I am looking at instaling one on a veranda, the building is on a slope so i should be able to access the chamber at the bottom to empty it, but the veranda is enclosed so i am a bit concerned about smells. All of the ones i have seen have been stand alone seperate buildings . |
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| tahir |
Ben Law's one is indoors | ||
| Andy B |
Thats true, and i have got his book ! Doh !!!!!!!!!!!! 
Thanks |
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| Andrea |
Re: Composting toilets
We have one. It's very basic, and smells more of sawdust than anything else most of the time. We try hard not to wee in it though, and it sounds like you're after something a bit more sophisticated. |
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| Bec |
errmmm, where do you wee then?
Bec |
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| Andy B |
I was wondering that myself, i wouldnt have called a toilet you can wee in sophisticated. |
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| Simon |
I would highly recommend John Seymour's "Complete book of Self-Sufficiency ( ISBN 0-7513-6442-8 ) which explains the process and how to build one - but then, you already have this book I'm sure 
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| Simon |
I hope this doesn't infringe copyright. I'm sure it doesn't as the image is too obscure to be of any use other than to attest that the book is well worth investing in, thereby promoting further sales of this fine work. | ||
| Andy B |
Actually i have, unfortunatly due to work commitments i am not at home near my books much. |
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| dpack |
at 9 ladies we used them they work fine out of doors with sawdust .wet waste is best down a "desert rose"soakaway .falling in can be a problem as can meeting a resting bat like the one that burst for freedom between my mates knees one morning  the compost is ready after 18 months and grows great veg etc . this practice was common in the past but makes me a bit queasy .
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| Andy B |
So dont worry about smell, just wildlife. 
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| Andrea |
Depends who's around 
Perhaps you'd feel more comfortable with that if I told you that we live in the middle of nowhere! It's really not a problem most of the time, though I'll admit that I'm shy & use the loo when there's lots of guests around. I keep meaning to check out why, but I'm told that a basic compost loo is more likely to smell if you wee in it. |
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| dpack |
keep solid waste for the compost loo and use a soakaway for grey water ,reed beds are good so long as they do not pollute any watercouses. using sawdust and a small amount of wood ashes in a composting s... pit repels flies ,covers sights and reduces smell to almost nothing . if you dont care to use the compost you can move the housing ,cover the pit with soil and plant a tree .for indoor use i would think that dropping into a large container (with sawdust /ashes or dried earth ,which is another good cover )and mucking out to the main compost pit(not the garden/kitchen compost )may be a good solution . these methods only fail when too many people live in one place such as a city and there is nowhere left to dig.nightsoil was very popular with growers until the 19 th c but as it may have been used raw not composted you had to boil lettuce for 30 mins 
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| dpack |
ps wee on the ordinary compost heap it speeds up conversion | ||
| Andrea |
There's an info sheet on compost loos from LILI
http://www.lowimpact.org/infosheetcomposttoilets.pdf |
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| Andy B |
Many Thanks
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| dpack |
here may help |
which explains the process and how to build one - but then, you already have this book I'm sure