True Toilet Composting

[punkgirl28]

I am brand new to full timing so may be ignorant on the topic. I see ppl talk about composting bucket toilets, but then they talk about the waste being either flushed or thrown out in bags. There's something I'm just not understanding so I apologize. I brought a large plastic bin for composting. Put my materials in the bottom. Put liquid and solid waste in my 5gal bucket. Then dumped the bucket in my composting bin. Why does it need to be taken someplace else? Sorry for stupidity ahead of time. Thanx!!

 

[Almost There]

True composting of any waste, whether it's humanure or organic, takes up to 2 years to fully compost. I can't think of anyone I know who would like to carry around the solid waste produced by even one person for that long...we don't have the space...

The proper term for the toilets some of us use is ' separating' toilets. When liquid and solids are separated they don't have much of an odor. It's the combining of the two that is offensive to the nose.

Some people use a bucket toilet in which they place absorbent materials (usually cat litter) inside a couple of plastic bags, use it as a toilet and then dispose of the bag. Some, mostly males, are able to separate their urine by using a jug and only use the bucket for solid waste. Some women use one of the Female Urinary Devices.

I use a commercially made separating toilet. There are several brands, mine is a C-Head. The units are designed such that the urine is caught in a liquids container and the solids a separate container which contains your choice of materials. Peat moss is one, I use pine shavings. The liquids container can be emptied in to any type of toilet facility and the solid waste disposed of as needed. As a single user I get 2 to 3 days out of a gallon liquid waste container and usually 4 to 6 weeks before I need to empty the solids container.

 

[punkgirl28]

True composting of any waste, whether it's humanure or organic, takes up to 2 years to fully compost. I can't think of anyone I know who would like to carry around the solid waste produced by even one person for that long

Hey thanx for the reply. I'm curious if anyone out there truly composts on the road? I have  my compost bin that's the size of a large cooler and everything I compost loses mass so fast that I just keep adding to it. Within a month everything is composted down so I would imagine the bin would just need to be large enough to hold a months worth of buckets (4). Anyone else use compost bins on the road?

 

[Almost There]

Not anyone that I know of!

Once you try to fit all the stuff you REALLY need in to a small space like a full size cargo van you'll quickly see that even something the size of a large cooler that is only being used to contain poo is not really practical to be carrying around.

If you're really, really serious about doing the humanure thing, I'd go to here - http://www.jenkinspublishing.com/messages/

and see if there is a location website where you'd be able to find places to drop off the waste as you travel.

 

[punkgirl28]

Once you try to fit all the stuff you REALLY need in to a small space like a full size cargo van you'll quickly see that even something the size of a large cooler that is only being used to contain poo is not really practical to be carrying around.

I have a pick up truck/cargo trailer set up so I'm okay to carry it with me. I compost everything I can and I'm zero waste as much as possible so I already carry my bin for food scraps etc. I have it outside my trailer while camping and in the back of my pickup while traveling. Maybe I'm the only one that composts on the road, I just didn't think it very likely.

 

[Almost There]

Just be careful with the organic food scrap bin being outside while you're camped in any area that has abundant wildlife (raccoons/skunks etc) as well as in bear territory.

It's a real attraction for them!

 

[punkgirl28]

Once you try to fit all the stuff you REALLY need in to a small space like a full size cargo van you'll quickly see that even something the size of a large cooler that is only being used to contain poo is not really practical to be carrying around.

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I have a pick up truck/cargo trailer set up so I'm okay to carry it with me. I compost everything I can and I'm zero waste as much as possible so I already carry my bin for food scraps etc. I have it outside my trailer while camping and in the back of my pickup while traveling. Maybe I'm the only one that composts on the road, I just didn't think it very likely.[/font]

 

[SoulRaven]

I am confused as to what is being composted. Human waste along with the food scraps in a container, is that it? While you can do it, it is going to be tough to find a place to get rid of it. Someone mentioned the "Humanure Handbook" by their publisher's name, great recommendation.

If you take this back home to a compost pile, I see no reason you could not do it.

 

[punkgirl28]

I am confused as to what is being composted.  Human waste along with the food scraps in a container, is that it?  While you can do it, it is going to be tough to find a place to get rid of it.  Someone mentioned the "Humanure Handbook" by their publisher's name, great recommendation.  

If you take this back home to a compost pile, I see no reason you could not do it.

The compost bin a have has hot compost in it all the time so I don't need to take it anywhere, it can just stay with me. I thought in this section there might be others that compost full time on the road. No biggie.

 

[SoulRaven]

We have been looking at full-timing since 1990, and I have never heard of anyone composting on the road full-time. Again, at some point you have to get rid of it, and you would need a plan for that. If you work that out, there should not be a problem. The "composting" toilets used in RVs are not true composting toilets in the original sense. I thought maybe someone here had suggested the possibility of using a system that uses red worms. That might be an interesting alternative.

 

[TMG51]

Nature's Head is the most commonly coveted brand of RV composting toilet, but they are expensive, and, as mentioned, you cannot "truly" fully compost organic matter without toting it around for a couple years... but read up on Nature's Head literature and similar products and see if they meet your needs.

 

[Gardenias]

Hi punkgirl28!
I posted something regarding your topic on a different thread.
https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Question-for-the-Luggable-Loo-Users?pid=296265#pid296265
I'll keep you posted if you like.

 

[Gardenias]

So this:
Bokashi Pet Cycle Fermentation System
http://store.bokashicycle.com/bpcfs
is probably available for pick up very soon!