Going Green Nature Composting toilet

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

What's surprising to me is that California with some of the most progressive repressive environmental laws around has not officially embraced composting toilets as a way to save water.

There, fixed it for yah!

[first wind]

Originally Posted by StuM

There, fixed it for yah!

a distinction without a difference.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by jkindredpdx

25 years ago my friend a "recycling proponent and educator" told me it only requires 10% of the population accepting an idea for it to reach critical mass and become common practice. Back then we carted our waste to the recycling center. Today nearly every town has curbside pickup of recycling and nearly 80% of people in the U.S. recycle.

Question:

What does recycling have to do with a composting toilet? Especially when the misnamed toilets don't actually compost waste any more than my cat's litter box. As stated by many on this thread, the composting toilets actually dry out the waste so the users can then toss it into the nearest dumpster, just like my wife does with the cat's waste.

You folks just seem to be fooling yourselves into believing something which isn't true. If what you intend to do by installing a desicating toilet is to save the space occupied by a holding tank... I can understand that. But to claim using one is somehow more "green," is just silly and naive, totally not based in science.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Question:

What does recycling have to do with a composting toilet? Especially when the misnamed toilets don't actually compost waste any more than my cat's litter box. As stated by many on this thread, the composting toilets actually dry out the waste so the users can then toss it into the nearest dumpster, just like my wife does with the cat's waste.

You folks just seem to be fooling yourselves into believing something which isn't true. If what you intend to do by installing a desicating toilet is to save the space occupied by a holding tank... I can understand that. But to claim using one is somehow more "green," is just silly and naive, totally not based in science.

Well alright then do some more research. Actually it is better for the environment than flush and forget they mostly use chemicals to quickly render human waste " inert" vice composting whether onsite or in a landfill does the same with time/temperature. Vice the chemicals added to the sewage. The term " green" applies to the non use of added chemicals.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by newhaul

Well alright then do some more research. Actually it is better for the environment than flush and forget they mostly use chemicals to quickly render human waste " inert" vice composting whether onsite or in a landfill does the same with time/temperature. Vice the chemicals added to the sewage. The term " green" applies to the non use of added chemicals.

A "flush and forget" marine head doesn't use any chemicals, you're thinking porta potty camping toilet.

[Sea Dreaming]

Ah...yet another topic to add to my do not discuss list..
Religion, Politics, Money and Toilets.

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Question:

What does recycling have to do with a composting toilet? Especially when the misnamed toilets don't actually compost waste any more than my cat's litter box ... installing a desicating toilet is to save the space occupied by a holding tank... I can understand that. But to claim using one is somehow more "green," is just silly and naive, totally not based in science.

The OP chose his Title, I never claimed to be "green". I do however agree with you that I save space and my head doesn't stink like it did before.

I apologize for the thread drift with my "recycling comment", I was trying to draw a comparison between the early days of recycling and current state of non-flushing toilets... and perhaps ponder the adoption of alternative technology.

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by Sea Dreaming

Ah...yet another topic to add to my do not discuss list..
Religion, Politics, Money and Toilets.

and Solo Sailing, Paper Charts, and Anchoring...

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by jkindredpdx

and Solo Sailing, Paper Charts, and Anchoring...

And tiny cruising budgets!

[smj]

Originally Posted by Sea Dreaming

And tiny cruising budgets!

And mono vs multi


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[Mike OReilly]

While I don't think a composting head is necessarily any more "green" than a flush and forget, and it was not the reason we installed one, I do think it makes being "green" more possible. A composting head forces a certain intimatcey with your outflows. You have to know where things go, and therefore you are more likely to know the impact. Flush and forget is exactly that.


Why go fast, when you can go slow

[smj]

When the composting head gets full you can dump it into a five gallon bucket and dispose of it when the time is convenient. When the holding tank gets full and there is no pump out available it's time to crack the seacock and let some loose. We have been on both sides of the scenario.


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[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

A "flush and forget" marine head doesn't use any chemicals, you're thinking porta potty camping toilet.

The sludge in the holding tank has to go somewhere they pump your tank and send it to a municipal sewage treatment facility how do you think they treat the crap. I'm not talking about direct overboard discharge

[sartorst]

Pee can be valuable just the other day a co-worker asked to borrow some!

[HopCar]

"A composting head forces a certain intimatcey with your outflows."
As a cat owner, I'm intimately familiar with cat outflows. Why not a human litter box? Oh wait, that's what they call a composting toilet.

It's just a joke! Sheesh, you'd think I'd insulted your anchor.