Using composting toilets is one of the most effective ways of preserving the environment. These toilets usually use the natural processes of decomposition and evaporation to recycle human waste.
Usually, ninety percent of the garbage that enters the toilet is water. This liquid evaporates to the atmosphere through the vent system, leaving the solid material behind. After the evaporation is over, the toilet converts the remaining waste to useful fertilizing soil through the process of natural decomposition. This natural process is aided by aerobic bacteria which require enough oxygen, heat, moisture and organic material.
It is essential to know how to correctly use the composting toilet in order to avoid serious issues such as bad smell and fly breeding. Operating the composting toilet involves cleaning the shelter and the interior and also opening, closing the vaults once in a while.
Composting Toilet Using Guide
Table of Contents
Prepare the toilet for use
Remember that it is only one vault of the composting toilet is used at a time. You are therefore required to use a heavy lid to cover the squatting hole of the trunk that is not in use. Putting in a loose layer of leaves, grass, weeds, and sawdust would soak up the liquids and prepare the vault.
After that, find a lid with a handle and place it over the squatting hole. Put an empty container and a jar of ashes or powdered soil in the shelter section. Cleansing material such as toilet paper should also be put in the shelter.
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Using the toilet
When using the toilet, use the can to sprinkle ashes or the earth soil into the vault. These products should be sprinkled on top of human waste in order to soak up liquid and prevent odor.
Do so every time there is a new waste. It is critical to ensure that you frequently change the lids that are placed over the squatting hole.
Add other wastes into the vault
At the end of each day, collect kitchen scraps and yard sweepings and throw them into the trunk. The contents of the trunk should be covered using grass clippings leaves and sawdust. Put them either once or twice in a week.
Sometimes, people get worried about over-filling the vault. However, bacteria action always reduces the volume of everything that you have put in there. However, if the contents reach ten inches, you can consider changing the vaults.
Remove the compost
Seal the contents of the vault for six to twelve months to allow them to turn into compost. After that, you can remove the cover from the rear side of the vault. Remove the compost using a hoe or a rake. Use a wheelbarrow to take the waste to the garden and then move it to the ground.
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Clean the toilet
It is necessary to observe hygiene, even with the composting toilet. Sprinkle ashes or fine soil on the slab and the area around the squatting hole to ensure and then sweep them into the vault. Washing should be done once or twice a week.
Following the above steps helps in maintaining the beneficial bacterial action that produces compost.
Using a composting toilet is advantageous to the users and the environment as well. For instance, the process of converting human waste to fertilizing soil is odor-free. Also, the operation ensures the complete decomposition of the waste.
Apart from learning to operate it, users should also learn how to maintain the facility through inspection and repair of any damages that take place. You should never use this toilet as a washroom and avoid pouring water into the vault since the liquid will turn the contents into a smelly mess. Also, biodegradable materials such as glass should not be put into the facility.