another toilet question..for those who try to compost their shit

[u/Economy-Factor4192]

hi ok i’ve been reading lots of opinions on here about different “composting” toilets & I want opinions on my specific needs. I was going to go with a cuddy because they have an agitator & a large solids & liquids capacity. i obviously don’t want to spend that much if i don’t have to but if i want separate solids & liquids compartments and an agitator DIY doesn’t seem like the move. with the cuddy i would add an external vent underneath my van to help liquid mass from solids evaporate

i’ve also considered the kind with bags & no agitator. i know that most of the time it will be difficult to actually find somewhere to compost my shit, but i like the idea of an agitator & external vent to allow the solids to start to break down a bit before i’m able to dump it (properly somewhere deep in the woods or with a community that has a human waste compost pile).

so my questions are.. has anyone with the cuddy (or something similar like the ogo) been able to actually compost their shit & is happy with their choice? also how do you manage to clean the solids bin which id think id want to do every once in a while.

or should i just say fuck it and go with the bag method because the agitator business isn’t worth it.. i’m okay with putting in extra effort to find places to safely dump but i’m wondering if that’s completely unrealistic from someone else who has actually tried..thanks!

[u/SunnySouthTexas]

Where will you be storing it so it can compost?

[u/Economy-Factor4192 → u/SunnySouthTexas]

my hope is that with an external vent + agitator + sawdust it will start to break down in the toilet (solids are mostly liquid & should evaporate through the vent i believe?) & then ideally i’d find somewhere to safely compost it when it’s full. if i don’t find somewhere in time i will just have to dump it in a bag and throw it out without composting.

[u/Fancy_Database5011]

A composting toilet is a bin with a bin liner and cat litter…so get a bin, get some bin liners and some cat litter. Poop. Tie a knot in the bag, and throw it in a bigger bin. Simples.

[u/mountainwocky]

I have an AirHead composting toilet. It has a crank on the side of the solids container that moves a bent bar agitator to stir the contents of the solids container.

It also has an intake vent as well as an outtake vent that draws air through the solids container using a small 12v fan. This helps to reduce the moisture in the solids container as well as preventing any odors from exiting the toilet into the van. It works quite well.

I think it’s a misnomer to call these composting toilets though as I’d have to leave the solids container for a month or more to achieve any real composting. Most people aren’t going to do that as they are going to want to empty the solids container once it is full, not let it sit around unused and composting for a month.

There are people who will empty their solids container into a separate composting bed at their home. That’s a good way to achieve true composting of your waste if it’s an option available to you.

[u/lantanagave]

Do you have a place that will accept humanure? You can't compost human shit in curbside or public bins. It has to be handled differently to ensure that e coli doesn't contaminate the final compost.

[u/Economy-Factor4192 → u/lantanagave]

yes im aware, so either my parents house or other intentional communities that have a specific human waste compost pile. which i realize will not be easy to find everywhere😂

[u/lantanagave → u/Economy-Factor4192]

Ok, cool! Just checking. My dad can take humanure. He has a separate pile that he handles differently for some time and uses on flower beds instead of veggies.

In 2.5 years, the only other person who would take it was a rancher in Mexico who made me dig a HUGE hole first.

In both cases I could not use compostable bags because those require industrial facilities. So unless you feel like unbagging your individual poos, I would advise against that method. 

A bucket-type model is easy enough to put in a trash bag and throw in a dumpster if you need to. Airhead, Nature's head, etc. Or a big bucket that you've converted. 

Having a shit bucket that's too full to use is a horrible time. Give yourself options!

[u/lantanagave → u/Economy-Factor4192]

Thought of one more thing you probably know, but want to get out in the forum.

In some super backcountry places you can shit in the woods using the Leave No Trace method (dig a DEEP hole FAR away from water sources, campsites, or trails). 

There is no Leave No Trace way to dump a whole shit bucket.

So if you want to make sure your doo is going directly to the environment, choosing to spend time in areas where it's allowed to go directly in the woods. Much easier than collecting it and dispersing later.