scotslad Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 Alright folks Bit of a strange question but it always amazes me just how random, diverse and knowledgeable many are on here I'm involved with the local wildlife trust/nature resrve and on the committee for it (b loody hard work with some off them at times ) I suggested a few years ago putting a composting toilet into the resreve as at the moment they put a small toilet tent up with a chemical toilet, which is not really ideal. They are gradually coming round to the idea but have seen a few bad reports on web about them too. The reserve manager does a hell of a lot with local schools, groups etc so would be good to have something more suitable, built quite a fancy hide/learning centre a few years ago (and in hindsight they should off built it into that) so it would make a really nice set up if we had a toilet. (Not going to be a public toilet, only open on certain days and have a disabled key? thingy so they can always get access) Does anyone have any experience of them? Esp in a reserve/middle of nowhere type environment Do they work? much smell? can the waste just be spread after leaving to compost for 6/12month the way they claim? Is there much other maintanence/upkeep with them Wot are the best systems? Few on the commitee aren't overly happy about the idea, done a bit of research but as usual all the companies that sell them tell u best thing ever BUT there are case studies where they haven't worked and need to be emptied as a septic tank regularly. But u willl hear more of the few times when something doesn't work than the many tmes something does exactly wot it was meant too and works well. Althou from wot i can make out the failed ones possibly haven't been set up how i thought they should be, seems the biggest problem is not seperating the solids and liquid which seems to cause most off the problems. Any advice especially from any experience of them over a few years would be great. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big bad lindz Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 There was one at Mar Lodge forest near Braemar that I used a while ago. I think there was a layer of straw put on it regularly but I don't know if the waste was actually used as a compost. This was set up as a proper public toilet facility. May be worth an email to Forestry Commission Scotland as I am sure they must be used else where. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinach Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 Try contact CAT in Machynlleth . They have them and should have someone available to talk about them. John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 The first 3 years my daughter lived in rural spain, thats all they had. my son in law built a double, one side in use, the other sealed. Apart from the obvious, any household peelings and eegshells went in aswell. Anyone using the Thunder box as it was called would sprinkle a hand full of sawdust after use. Strangely in sunny spain smell was not noticeable. After being sealed for 12 months what came out, you wouldnt know the difference to black high grade peat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p@cman Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 http://www.eweleaze.co.uk/camping.htm has composting toilets on site for campers during the summer. Basically large hole with a shed over the top. Modified floor, a bit of boxing in to create a bench seat with a hole cut in it, fixed plastic toilet seat in place and there you go; one composting Thomas Crapper.... They supplied boxes of wood chips in the "shed" to sprinkle handfuls of chippings down the hole once you'd finished. There was remarkably little smell, but perhaps that was the sea breeze that helped with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajb403 Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 A friend of mine lives in a yurt in the middle on a woodland and that's all they have, separate pee and poo chutes, the pee goes though into a soak away a few metres away and the poo drops straight into a big blue barrel along with a trowel full of ash from the fire. When full he pops the lid on and leaves for 6 months before emptying. It's built into a wooden structure with a shingle roof and woven wicker sides. It's never smelled. P@cman - I went to eweleaze a few years ago and theirs had a bit of a niff, everything was being dropped into a builders dumpy bag before being emptied straight onto a ****heap up by the barns, that heap hummed too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted May 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 Cheers folks will try and contact the folk u mentioned. Aye there's a few about various nature resrvers and stuff like that now, but also seem's to be a few not working very well and they end up having to get it emptied by septic tank emptying folk. which defeats the whole purpose I think the secert is to have the 2 compartments and keep the solids really dry. and have a really good vent/flue pipe set up The price we have been quoted for ready made ones is really scary Spinach wots Macylleith? resrev in wales? Cheers bbl, i've to meet an FC boy to do with something different so will drop that into the conversation later Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsonicnat Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 My Mate, God rest his soul, used to put about 20 ton on his allotment EVERY Year.. He had the biggest onions I have ever seen, his taters were huge too, this sounds filthy, but by god it works a treat. it came on a lorry and was like DRY FLAKES. get it dug up and rotate Like La-Bala says, its magic stuff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinach Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 Hi Scotslad, Machynlleth is a town near me, CAT is centre for alternative technologies , its been there for decades mainly hard working hippies rather than loafers they make straw bale houses and have a wealth of knowledge on water, wind and sun but are great with recycling and are keen on composting toilets. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OJW Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 Paid £5 to use one at a festival in Wales, of course it was probably subject to much heavier use as the festival was busy, but over a shorter period of time than a permanent one. Also depends how big and how often groups are coming down to your reserve. Anyway; Smell was overpowering, view was even worse. A cup full of saw dust!! Are you having a laugh!!!, perhaps a wheel barrow full would've made a slight difference and thats per bowel movement. I remember I used the first on the left and it was a one way system, had to go past about 25 other "cubicles" to get out. It was like running the gauntlet but worse. I wouldn't be surprised if some didn't make it past cubicle 10 before passing out. Must look far better on the bio-degradable, recycled hemp paper than they do when subjected to real world use! If it was me I would keep clear and certainly opt to buy my compost from a garden centre. Each to there own though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsonicnat Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 Paid £5 to use one at a festival in Wales, of course it was probably subject to much heavier use as the festival was busy, but over a shorter period of time than a permanent one. Also depends how big and how often groups are coming down to your reserve. Anyway; Smell was overpowering, view was even worse. A cup full of saw dust!! Are you having a laugh!!!, perhaps a wheel barrow full would've made a slight difference and thats per bowel movement. I remember I used the first on the left and it was a one way system, had to go past about 25 other "cubicles" to get out. It was like running the gauntlet but worse. I wouldn't be surprised if some didn't make it past cubicle 10 before passing out. Must look far better on the bio-degradable, recycled hemp paper than they do when subjected to real world use! If it was me I would keep clear and certainly opt to buy my compost from a garden centre. Each to there own though! Yahhh, No sense of adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeds chimp Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 Paid £5 to use one at a festival in Wales, of course it was probably subject to much heavier use as the festival was busy, but over a shorter period of time than a permanent one. Also depends how big and how often groups are coming down to your reserve. Anyway; Smell was overpowering, view was even worse. A cup full of saw dust!! Are you having a laugh!!!, perhaps a wheel barrow full would've made a slight difference and thats per bowel movement. I remember I used the first on the left and it was a one way system, had to go past about 25 other "cubicles" to get out. It was like running the gauntlet but worse. I wouldn't be surprised if some didn't make it past cubicle 10 before passing out. Must look far better on the bio-degradable, recycled hemp paper than they do when subjected to real world use! If it was me I would keep clear and certainly opt to buy my compost from a garden centre. Each to there own though! sounds better than the ones at festivals i have worked at Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houlsby Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Making me chuckle this.. Most of you eating uk veg are eating veg from composting human poo. Ever wonder where all your green waste goes?? It goes to local sewage works with "green waste" facility.. This is mixed with "cake" the leftovers of poo after its had the rags taken out of it. And then sold/given to farmers and sold to companies for COMPOST So that lovely black peat like compost you just put on your veg plot is likely to be human poop. Yep.. those massive strawberry that came this year that you didn't plant are from there too!! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stumpy69 Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Making me chuckle this.. Most of you eating uk veg are eating veg from composting human poo. I knew this asked my uncle who has a veg farm what the stinking pile of dark brown stuff was that was piled up with the dung. He told me it had come from the sewage place and was the cheapest most effective thing for spreading on the field. Although it did not smell as bad as I would have expected it still has a good smell to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bb Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Making me chuckle this.. Most of you eating uk veg are eating veg from composting human poo. Years ago we asked the bloke emptying our cess pit how he got rid of it all. With a grin he told us that the local farmers couldn't get enough of it.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted May 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Not entirely sure that is true, i used to drive a tractor for a company that injected sewage sludge into farmer fields, not a pleasant job, but that has been banned for 15 odd year Must admit not entirely sure the laws with the dry matter, they do say it is sterile after 12 months, doubt i would be putting it on my tatties thou. On the sites they reckon not to put it on stuff u'll eat but round about fruit trees/bushes will be ok. As an aside 1 of the other commitee members has been involvled with the food processign trade and is fairly well educated, he said the biggest food poisoning event came from canada from Brussel sprouts? that had bee fertilized with human waste for some reason the Ecoli was still alive and killed quite a few folk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OJW Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Surely they don't put fresh human sewage out on the fields, perhaps sterile or something but surely there would be health risks with real raw human sewage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bb Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 Not entirely sure that is true, i used to drive a tractor for a company that injected sewage sludge into farmer fields, not a pleasant job, but that has been banned for 15 odd year I did start my post with "Years ago". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39TDS Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 (edited) I'm a fruit and veg grower and have been for 40 years. I have never put human waste on any of my crops and nor do I know anybody that has. Many years ago our own domestic septic tank would be spread on our own land that was down to grass but even that gets taken off site these days. The risk from E.coli is way too big plus it isn't very nice to have fields littered with the non degradable items in there. Edited May 31, 2014 by 39TDS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houlsby Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 Not entirely sure that is true, i used to drive a tractor for a company that injected sewage sludge into farmer fields, not a pleasant job, but that has been banned for 15 odd year Must admit not entirely sure the laws with the dry matter, they do say it is sterile after 12 months, doubt i would be putting it on my tatties thou. On the sites they reckon not to put it on stuff u'll eat but round about fruit trees/bushes will be ok. As an aside 1 of the other commitee members has been involvled with the food processign trade and is fairly well educated, he said the biggest food poisoning event came from canada from Brussel sprouts? that had bee fertilized with human waste for some reason the Ecoli was still alive and killed quite a few folk Yeh iv worked for the water board since I was 18 buddy. I know exactly what happens... If you actually knew anything about it you'd understand that the waste is clean.. hence why it's called cake. It's still poo.. but it has been through the bugs and dewatering system to take all the nasties out. Despite what you may think.. There's actually more nasties in the cake produced from clean water (drinking water) than sewage What you speak of is now put into a tank and brewed with bugs to make it safe, then dried and put into green waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingnut Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 I have just returned from a 3 day fishing trip at a lake where they had one of these composting toilets, it was pretty basic, wooden shed type thingy, wooden planks with a plastic loo seat and a large tub of sawdust. also had printed instructions on how to use. Must say there was no smell at all -- a lot less than most chemical toilets at game fairs etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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