Dumping Waste, Bags or Composting Waste

[Sky]

Municipal transfer stations, you have to go into towns now and again to get water and food. Dumpsters now and again when available.

Everyone overthinks this before they get on the road. You will quickly sort it out once you start out full time.

Well the last time I went to my dump transfer station Dec 2021,the clerk made a point to read a list of not acceptable things to dump and said "no human waste". I suspected when i heard of bagging it up on Cheap RV living that someday this would be outlawed and several years later it is. I am in outhouse territory but obviously people in the out back as well as rv/van dwellers come through here a lot.

 

[RonDean]

Well the last time I went to my dump transfer station Dec 2021,the clerk made a point to read a list of not acceptable things to dump and said "no human waste". I suspected when i heard of bagging it up on Cheap RV living that someday this would be outlawed and several years later it is. I am in outhouse territory but obviously people in the out back as well as rv/van dwellers come through here a lot.

Yup! There are laws and regulations that are written by and for the "sticks and bricks" folks. Even there I would argue against things like using potable water to flush human waste and NOT allowing any use of greywater. Especially in areas like the desert SW, where the Colorado River is drying up.

Necessity can have its own rules and not all official rules are logically based. Nor are we paying enough attention to the entire impact of our actions.

Just because something is flushed out of sight "in an approved manner" doesn't make it the best choice for the environment. Nor does some people's aversion to individuals dealing with their own body waste make it wrong. I think the whole subject deserves a fact-based conversation and more than one alternate solution.

 

[Sky]

Yup! There are laws and regulations that are written by and for the "sticks and bricks" folks. Even there I would argue against things like using potable water to flush human waste and NOT allowing any use of greywater. Especially in areas like the desert SW, where the Colorado River is drying up.

Necessity can have its own rules and not all official rules are logically based. Nor are we paying enough attention to the entire impact of our actions.

Just because something is flushed out of sight "in an approved manner" doesn't make it the best choice for the environment. Nor does some people's aversion to individuals dealing with their own body waste make it wrong. I think the whole subject deserves a fact-based conversation and more than one alternate solution.

I totally agree and appreciate your level informed and intelligent comments !~

 

[BelgianPup]

If a campground or LTVA has freestanding waterless toilets, presumably they are emptied occasionally. WHERE do they deliver the contents? Has anyone ever asked? Does the facility accept "donations" from individual campers?

Or do they just remove the hut, fill in the top 4 feet with dirt, and dig a new hole?

 

[jacqueg]

If a campground or LTVA has freestanding waterless toilets, presumably they are emptied occasionally. WHERE do they deliver the contents? Has anyone ever asked? Does the facility accept "donations" from individual campers?

Or do they just remove the hut, fill in the top 4 feet with dirt, and dig a new hole?

Um, these are vault toilets - as in concrete vault - not dug outhouses. They are pumped out at intervals. Taken to the nearest sewage treatment plant, I assume.

At the LTVAs, no, you are not supposed to use the vault toilets for dumping your luggable loo, your port-a-potty, or any other waste collection device you may be using. You connect up with the dump station facilities for that.

 

[RonDean]

Um, these are vault toilets - as in concrete vault - not dug outhouses. They are pumped out at intervals. Taken to the nearest sewage treatment plant, I assume.

At the LTVAs, no, you are not supposed to use the vault toilets for dumping your luggable loo, your port-a-potty, or any other waste collection device you may be using. You connect up with the dump station facilities for that.

Hmmm...
If it is OK to use the vault toilet for direct deposits, it should be OK to use it for secondary deposits of the same stuff. So, the issue is the plastic bag most people use. Right? I use biodegradable bags. Or we could dump the contents of the bag in the toilet and the bag into the trash. Problem solved without having to use the liquid dump station.

If we put the same thing in trash receptacles, it is eventually hauled to whatever version of a dump they use for trash, kitchen waste, and all the other stuff we all dump there. Then what? The good stuff (like poop) biodegrades and gets buried along with the gigatons of all the other stuff we routinely dump there.

We all have very different resources and lifestyles. We all could do better, but each of us should do the best we can.

 

[abnorm]

"Hmmm...
If it is OK to use the vault toilet for direct deposits, it should be OK to use it for secondary deposits of the same stuff. .............................."

NO it is NOT OK..............per the LTVA rules "No Dumping"

 

[RonDean]

"Hmmm...
If it is OK to use the vault toilet for direct deposits, it should be OK to use it for secondary deposits of the same stuff. .............................."

NO it is NOT OK..............per the LTVA rules "No Dumping"

If that is the ONLY valid reply, then "I don't care."

I have seriously asked myself if I should feel guilty for selecting poop in a bag method. On balance, I think not. I really do try to lessen my impact on the earth.

1. I am not convinced my toilet method is more harmful to the environment or causes anyone else more work. And it skinks far less than that slurry I used to dump.
2. Whenever it is practical, once I have parked my rig, I tend to stay parked. For short necessary trips, I try to walk, bicycle, or use public transit if it is available.
3. When shopping, I actively look for glass, metal, or paper packaging instead of plastic. And when possible, I put those materials into recycling instead of trash.
4. I am a vegetarian. If you haven’t already done so, take a look at what that industry does to the environment. Think Pig Farm for example. How much pig poop enters the environment for that bacon and pork so many of you just ate?
5. It has been many years since I used an airplane.
6. An so on … No need to beat a dead horse.

There should be a better reason for rules than just the local authority saying, "Because I said so."

 

[RonDean]

If that is the ONLY valid reply, then "I don't care."

I have seriously asked myself if I should feel guilty for selecting poop in a bag method. On balance, I think not. I really do try to lessen my impact on the earth.

1. I am not convinced my toilet method is more harmful to the environment or causes anyone else more work. And it skinks far less than that slurry I used to dump.
2. Whenever it is practical, once I have parked my rig, I tend to stay parked. For short necessary trips, I try to walk, bicycle, or use public transit if it is available.
3. When shopping, I actively look for glass, metal, or paper packaging instead of plastic. And when possible, I put those materials into recycling instead of trash.
4. I am a vegetarian. If you haven’t already done so, take a look at what that industry does to the environment. Think Pig Farm for example. How much pig poop enters the environment for that bacon and pork so many of you just ate?
5. It has been many years since I used an airplane.
6. An so on … No need to beat a dead horse.

There should be a better reason for rules than just the local authority saying, "Because I said so."

I want to apologize for sounding argumentative on this subject. It serves no purpose and is unlikely to change many minds. I do think we should all minimize our eco footprints and I occasionally get heated on the subject. Only afterward do I understand that is not necessarily your subject of interest. Sorry.

 

[Freelander]

If that is the ONLY valid reply, then "I don't care."

I have seriously asked myself if I should feel guilty for selecting poop in a bag method. On balance, I think not. I really do try to lessen my impact on the earth.

1. I am not convinced my toilet method is more harmful to the environment or causes anyone else more work. And it skinks far less than that slurry I used to dump.
2. Whenever it is practical, once I have parked my rig, I tend to stay parked. For short necessary trips, I try to walk, bicycle, or use public transit if it is available.
3. When shopping, I actively look for glass, metal, or paper packaging instead of plastic. And when possible, I put those materials into recycling instead of trash.
4. I am a vegetarian. If you haven’t already done so, take a look at what that industry does to the environment. Think Pig Farm for example. How much pig poop enters the environment for that bacon and pork so many of you just ate?
5. It has been many years since I used an airplane.
6. An so on … No need to beat a dead horse.

There should be a better reason for rules than just the local authority saying, "Because I said so."

The problem with that is soon they will outlaw even the vault toilet, some camping sites have already been shut down because of trash being left behind.

If enough decide that "I don't care" about the rules, it reflects badly on all of us. Look at the Walmart overnight parking issues we are facing.

 

[BelgianPup]

IMHO, there seems to be a stubborn refusal to deal responsibly with the problem of human waste from vans, cars and tents. WHY?

• Commercial RVs -- they're covered.
• Commercial campgrounds -- they're covered.
• Baby diapers and senile senior diapers -- they're covered.
• Van, car and tent campers... Nope!

There should be a reasonable answer, but what is it?

 

[GntlStone]

Just came across an interesting article. Sewage Energy

Thinking about solo nomads who use composting toilets. And no burn ban in effect.

 

[vagabondpilot]

I want to apologize for sounding argumentative on this subject. It serves no purpose and is unlikely to change many minds. I do think we should all minimize our eco footprints and I occasionally get heated on the subject. Only afterward do I understand that is not necessarily your subject of interest. Sorry.

I want to thank you for being a person who walks your talk and also for being a person who is humble enough to be a responsible communicator. I don't live your chosen lifestyle but I respect it / you.

 

[RonDean]

The problem with that is soon they will outlaw even the vault toilet, some camping sites have already been shut down because of trash being left behind.

If enough decide that "I don't care" about the rules, it reflects badly on all of us. Look at the Walmart overnight parking issues we are facing.

I want to thank you for being a person who walks your talk and also for being a person who is humble enough to be a responsible communicator. I don't live your chosen lifestyle but I respect it / you.

The problem at Walmart and many camping areas isn't bagged poop getting into the trash. It is the mess that is being left and scattered around the parking lot and NOT getting into the trash. It is beggars and the increasing homeless community making shoppers feel less safe. If ONLY the homeless would bag up all their stuff and put it in the trash, Walmart would be much happier. It is also large campers dropping stabilizing jacks into hot asphalt or extending their slide outs. I know all this because I once worked at Walmart.

Back to the original issue. As BelgianPup pointed out, one size does not fit all. Many camping spots seem to assume everyone is just out on a camping trip and will soon go "home." And they post these signs without considering all the facts or offering alternatives to those of us that don't fit their cookie-cutter assumptions.

People living in cars, tents, many vans, etc don't have the same tank dump systems as the dump RVs do. Nor is this just a weekend camping issue for many of them. And many people (especially older folks) can't or don't want to make a midnight trek to the "approved" toilets.

I am not trying to argue, just explaining different situations that might apply to other people and that we might think about before judging others.

Best Regards.

 

[WanderingRose]

It is a complicated issue, really, but I think it is all of our responsibility to be acutely aware of not only the footprint we are leaving, but the nature of that footprint, as our decisions every day will affect what happens to our lifestyle in the future.

As in, how do we NOT negatively impact others, whether we are welcome or not, and what restrictions are put in place.

 

[Freelander]

Yes but everybody just threw their poop out in trash then you will see more and more laws being to prohibit people throwing their poop in the trash.

At the LTVA if you don't have at least a 10 gal black you to camp close to the vault toilets, if people just start throwing their poop in the trash the LTVA may even stop the van campers from using the sites.

You already stated that you don't care about the laws, have some consideration for others.

 

[jacqueg]

If that is the ONLY valid reply, then "I don't care."

More power to you. Just be aware that if you are caught breaking the rules, you are out on your ear.

 

[RonDean]

Yes but everybody just threw their poop out in trash then you will see more and more laws being to prohibit people throwing their poop in the trash.

At the LTVA if you don't have at least a 10 gal black you to camp close to the vault toilets, if people just start throwing their poop in the trash the LTVA may even stop the van campers from using the sites.

You already stated that you don't care about the laws, have some consideration for others.

re: You already stated that you don't care about the laws, have some consideration for others.

That there are rules (not laws) I do not agree with and am willing to violate does not mean I do not have consideration for others. Quite the contrary. It is because I DO have that consideration that I am willing to ask about or argue the issue.

I have yet to hear a logical reason, beyond the sign says so, that a bag of poop going to the dump causes a problem. If so, exactly what is that problem?

How about people walking their pets? Should we demand they instead teach them to use human flush/vault toilets and stop picking up their poop and putting it in the trash? How often do we have to hear about sewage plants dumping raw sewage into rivers and lakes before we admit there are problems with that system?

As I pointed out, not everyone is equipped or able (for various reasons) to follow these particular rules. A little less judgment and a little more consideration for these others would go a long way.

 

[WanderingRose]

I have yet to hear a logical reason, beyond the sign says so, that a bag of poop going to the dump causes a problem. If so, exactly what is that problem?

I’m not at the LTVA, so maybe don’t have a dog in this hunt, but it would seem that this is not the place to try to resolve your position that the rules there are unfair, also that openly resisting and violating them may make camping there more difficult for others in the long term.

It’s not about being judgmental or considering others needs and wants, but about complying with current rules for the benefit of everyone who wants to continue using these sites.

 

[Freelander]

OK but when you get banned from Public Land just tell them "you don't care" and see how far that will get you.