Composting Toilets And Other Alternatives

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly of Waste Management

 “It doesn’t smell at all!” they exclaim.  Proponents of composting toilets are quick to offer their observations/justifications for this popular bathroom fixture.  Since they negate the need for plumbing and/or a black-water holding tank, these devices have been given the stature of a silver bullet for saving money on construction costs. But what do you do with the waste once the tanks are full?

This is actually a hot topic for many websites dedicated to just this issue. Some folks toss it out with the trash. However, about half the states have regulations prohibiting that. What you do with it on your own property can also be highly regulated. Many counties in my state ban their use completely. They don’t want piles of human poop lying around your property. Here’s an article from a lady who’s research says it’s OK to dump it in the trash.

On this page, we’ll take a comprehensive look at pros and cons of these popular toilets, as well as other options for waste removal in your tiny home.

Composting Toilets Don’t Actually Compost Your Poop

I’m not sure why they call these “composting” toilets. They don’t do that. They do somewhat begin the process by separating the urine and adding a source of carbon like sawdust, coconut coir, or peat moss.

Turning poop into safe compost is a difficult task that can take up to eighteen months. Even then, without heating you’ll have a lot of nasty microorganisms that can despoil the environment and make you sick. Remember getting “the revenge” when you vacationed in Mexico?

Can you tell I’m not excited about these devices? Think about how you will be using your tiny home.  Will you be renting space in an RV park? Chances are they will not let you in unless you are plumbed like an RV, with holding tanks and a drain fitting that matches their facilities.

Here is a great YouTube video discussing the reality of a composting toilet:

The Separett® Composting Toilet

Here is a YouTube video of a tiny house user discussing an issue using her Separett composting toilet. Read the comments too.

From the Separett Manufacturer:

“The Villa 9215 is designed to accept 12V DC power from battery or solar resource,

or with the included AC adapter to run on standard AC power.  It’s the perfect unit if you may be changing from on grid to off or vise versa. This is the unit most commonly used for Tiny Homes as the fan draws less air for smaller spaces.

The Separett Villas are urine diverting toilets. The design of the toilet bowl catches the urine in a drain which is plumbed to a grey water system or holding tank. The solid waste and paper only are contained within the solid waste holding area in a compostable liner bag.

The vent fan pulls air over the solid waste holding area, serving to help dry the solid waste and vent any odor. After a period of use – generally about 3 weeks for average family use, the compostable liner bag is removed from the solid waste holding area and is deposited in your composter, approved solid waste disposal area, or incinerated.”

BioLet Composting Toilets

Biolet was one of the first companies to make composting toilets. They have over40+ years experience. BioLet composting toilets are some of the least expensive but most automatic composting toilets in the world.

The BioLet 55A, shown on the left, incorporates advanced technology to help speed up natures natural decomposition times.

This composting toilet is equipped with a quiet fan, double heaters, compost covers, and is completely automatic. The BioLet 55a ensures an optimum environment for care free operation. Rated at 3 – 4 people seasonal use the BioLet 55a is an excellent choice for tiny homes, permanent RV’s, or skoolies.

The BioLet 55a retails for between $2,300.00 and $3,000.00 depending on if it’s on sale or not.  Right now through these links you can get it brand new for just $2,304.00* and there’s financing too.

Extra Capacity BioLet 65a composting toilet

For those who need extra capacity the BioLet 65a is the right choice. Rated for 4 people full-time use and 6 people part-time use, the BioLet 65a is perfect for your tiny house. With it’s fully automated operation, including an advanced active liquid control sensor, fan, and automatic mixer, it is easy to see that this toilet means business. Approved and certified by the world’s leading testing authorities, the BioLet 65a is clearly the most advanced and reliable composting toilet available.

The BioLet 65a is the only biological toilet to carry the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. This certification is the most prestigious approval in Scandinavia, the world’s largest market for composting toilets and is the most thorough testing for closed toilet systems in the world!

The retail price is $3,750.00 but thru these links you can get it for $3,049.00*. Includes a lifetime warranty for toilet body parts such as the try, tank, and base and a 3-year warranty for any toilet parts that have manufacturing defects.

The Advantage of  Composting (or “dry”) Toilets

The biggest advantage of composting toilets is cost. You do not need a black water holding tank, or much of any plumbing. Some people are adding a urine diverter which shunts urine to the grey water disposal system. Unfortunately, this sometimes means that it’s just drained out of the house into the grass without a filter system.

 

Alternatives to Composting Toilets

Here are some alternatives to composting toilets.

Incinerating Toilets

Incinerating toilets are just what you expect from their name. They fry the waste to ash, usually by heating electrically, but now there are gas models too.

Incinolet is the most notable brand. These are popular in Europe and are gaining popularity in the US. They are especially good for cabins with electricity, but ground too rocky for an outhouse or septic system. They have three models, all electric but are working on a gas model. Cost about $2,200.00* depending on model.

Cinderella makes a propane incinerating toilet. Cost starts at $4,399.00* plus installation kit.  It requires 12 volts for the fan. Like the Incinolet you must also buy bed liners, approx. $64.00* for a pack of 500. They also have electric versions.

The pros of incinerating toilets

• No septic system is needed.
• Waste is converted into about a tablespoon of clean ash that is emptied into the garbage.
• Depending on the model up to six people can use one and empty just once a week.
• No disposing of a urine bottle or a bag of partially composted waste.
• You’ll always need to buy replacement bed liners.

The cons of incinerating toilets

• Very expensive.  Incinolet incinerating toilets cost more than $2k* plus installation parts.
• Use a lot of power. Originally they required 220 volts and 3500 watts. Incinolet now makes a 120 volt version, but it needs a dedicated 20 amp circuit.
• Need “makeup air vents” for proper combustion that makes the bathroom cold. If not properly vented, there is a weird fried poop smell.
• Users report that they vibrate the tiny house for over an hour after use. Not sure what that’s all about.

Dry Flush

Laveo portable toilet from DryFlush is a lightweight, waterless, odorless and chemical-free commode that supplies the comforts of home in any locale, no matter how remote. This unit is easily transportable at just 26 lbs. and has a full-size toilet seat with a hearty weight capacity of 500 lbs., but its best feature is a revolutionary method for disposing of waste. A double-layered bagging system goes to work each time the toilet is flushed, effectively compartmentalizing anything in the bowl with a twist-and-seal action. Refill cartridges hold 15-17 flushes (and odors) and are easily replaced without users coming into contact with waste. Simply extract the liner bag and throw it in the trash.

 

Shop Tiny Houses has a great package on the Laveo Dry Flush toilet including 2 refill cartridges, and a bottle of Pee Powder. Pee Powder extended cartridge life by up to 40%. Just $995.00 for all. You can click on image to learn more.

 

 

The image on the right show the Laveo Dry Flush toilet in a bamboo Lift Top Cabinet built by Weekender Vans. Crafted from high-quality 3/4″ Amber Bamboo, this cabinet is both durable and lightweight, with the integrated handles making it easy to move around as needed. The cabinets folding design allows you to quickly and easily use the cabinet as a bench seat or have access to the toilet.

 

 

RV Toilets

 

 

Toilets in RVs  are far less expensive than composting toilets and use very little water to flush. These are great when your freshwater is stored in a holding tank, and may be limited. They usually fit directly over the black water holding tank and require a specific drain valve.

An RV toilet will require the addition of a black water holding tank.

 

Cassette Toilets

See our page on cassette toilets: Cassette Toilets Alternative to Composting Toilets Cassette toilets do not require a black water holding tank.

A cassette toilet also uses water but is self contained. The “black tank” portion is removed out the side of the vehicle. It can be dumped in a toilet or outhouse.

 

The Outhouse

An outhouse is a good off-grid alternative to an expensive composting toilet.  But nobody wants to sit on a cold toilet seat in the winter. A Styrofoam toilet seat does not get cold and warms the minute you sit on it.

This foam toilet seat from Separett is a great privy seat. It seals between uses to keep odors down. There is a urine diverter too. That really keeps the smell down and makes a better environment for the poop to compost.

I recommend having a portable toilet inside for those nocturnal tinkles since going outside at night, half asleep, is not recommended.

Building Your Own Outhouse

Outhouses used to be just small buildings with a deep hole dug underneath. Check with your local county officials to see if that is allowed. Modern outhouses that you see in forest service campgrounds have a cement vault that is pumped out by a septic service at the end of the season.

If you’ve noticed, you’ll see a large black vent tube located on the sunny side of the structure. This tube is heated by the sun. The warmed air inside the tube rises naturally causing an updraft to vent the vault. Fresh air is passively pulled in from the outhouses vented interior down the toilet keeping the outhouse smelling fresh (fresher).

Our outhouse simply has a bucket under the seat with a poop bag liner. When full the bad is zipped shut and put in the trash. We use a scoop of cocoa fiber after each use until the bag is emptied.

The picture is a working outhouse built by The Jamaica Cottage Shop. It sells for about $1,199.00*, which is not too bad actually. You can buy just the plans for $99.00*. It’s also available as a precut kit that can be shipped to you. See the video.

For more information on building an outhouse see my new page on: Outhouses for your off-grid homestead.

Also see the companion page: Stunning Bathhouses off-grid.

Carefully Consider Your Situation Before Choosing Your Toilet

If you will be permanently settled onto private property and can connect to a septic system or city sewer line with a municipal water supply, a standard household toilet is the right option.

The cost of adding a septic system, a well, and running electric to a property needs to be carefully considered in advance of your home choice. The infrastructure costs may more than double or triple the cost of the project.

Composting toilets may be the best choice for the school bus conversion tribe. Skoolie enthusiasts move frequently and are often near an outhouse into which they can empty their tanks.

Update a year later -I still don’t like ’em

While the Separett® is superior to Nature’s Head®, unless they’re empty, they all stink. I’ve been in a lot of tiny homes this year. At best, composting toilets smell like a freshly-plowed farmer’s field in the spring. At worst, they smell like the feedlots in Greeley, Colorado. I can smell the base odor the minute the front door is opened.

Exhaust fan gets overwhelmed

Composting toilets have a fan to keep air flowing past the waste and out of the house. This is fine unless your house is so tightly insulated that there is no air inlet.  The low level fan can easily be overwhelmed when you turn on your shower exhaust fan, or the exhaust fan over your gas stove. Then you might pull air backwards thru the exhaust vent and also up through the urine tube. Use the 4″ in-line booster fan to increase the exhaust air flow.

Urine is not as safe as some people claim

Some of the most respected tiny house authorities suggest you can just run the urine line out the bottom of the tiny house and drain it on the ground. Don’t do this. Do not drain it with your grey water either. It’s not safe or sanitary.

Urine isn’t actually sterile as most people claim. It does contain low levels of bacteria and needs to be disposed of correctly.

Flies and bugs are attracted to the exhaust tube

One tiny house friend ran her exhaust pipe up to the roof of her tiny home because she would smell the exhaust gasses if she opened her windows on that side of the house. Then she needed a more powerful fan (like the one shown here)  to compensate for the longer distance tubing. She finally put a fine netting over the end of the pipe to keep flies and bugs from getting into the toilet. Still, for some reason, she likes her composting toilet.

Still Want a Composting Toilet? Here’s the Best Place to Get It

Shop Tiny Houses has a great selection with a great buyers guide .

With everything I’ve said about them you can tell it’s not going to be the right choice for me, but it might be just the right thing for you. So go for it.

Visit this page for more information on composting toilets and zoning laws.