The How’s and Why’s
Dry composting toilets that use no water for flushing, conserve precious water resources and keep effluent and pollutants out of waterways and the ecosystem. The savings on your water bill are an added bonus – and waterless toilets can, in fact, be an elegant addition to a modern bathroom.
They are a proven, minimum or no energy alternative to the traditional reticulated systems that only transport the problem downstream. They can also reduce on site restrictions and eliminate pollution & nutrient problems of systems such as septic tanks.
They are often preferable to conventional toilets in environmentally fragile or water-scarce areas. For example more and more councils are increasingly recommending that householders install waterless toilets rather than conventional septic tank systems.
The composting toilet doesn’t smell if used and maintained correctly. In fact, because all our composting toilets use a ventilation system, (either electric/solar or a whirlybird wind fan) there is actually less odor than with a normal flushing toilet. The ventilation system draws any smells down through the composting chambers, and out of the external vent pipe leaving your toilet odor free!
“I go to my cabin in the woods and have my off-grid weekends and then think what can I bring back from that? It
is a journey of exploration, trying out ideas, asking how can that inform every day living.” “Do I put in a reed bed, a biodigester, or a composting toilet? I am a big fan of composting toilets – I like the cycle
of using waste. When you have experienced one and seen what comes out of the bottom, it is amazing stuff. It’s
the most beautiful, driest, sweet-smelling compost.”
See 2 videos below for an introduction to Dry Composting Toilets.
Grand Designs’ green-minded presenter Kevin McCloud:
‘I am a big fan of
composting toilets’
The Basics about Composting Toilets – from OAEC
ABC News Story – Composting Toilets
Different Types of Dry Composting Toilets
The many designs available can be divided into four main types, all with their own characteristics, capacities and installation requirements.
Self Contained Composting Toilets (low usage)
These smaller, self contained systems have the advantage that they can easily be fitted into an existing toilet room without the need to have underfloor access to install and maintain a composting chamber. This is a feature most other composting toilets can not offer.
Their capacity can be increased, just by adding more spare composting chambers & lids. These can be purchased when the system is initially bought, or as the need for them arises.
Self Contained Composting Toilets are suitable for a smaller family, typically from 2 – 4 people in full time use. More systems can be added as required, catering to larger families sizes and depending on the number of bathrooms in situ.
Split System Composting Toilets (low to medium usage)
Split systems have a higher capacity than self-contained ones, as the composting container is below floor and a conventional looking toilet pedestal is inside the toilet room.
There are two types of split composting toilets – batch and continuous.
Split batch systems have two or more containers that are alternated, so that the active container is being used while the fallow container has time to compost, without the addition of new material.
Split continuous systems have a single composting container. New deposits are added at the back of the unit and raked toward the front. By the time the front of the container is full, this section is fully composted and ready to be emptied.
The Green Loo GL and GT Split System’s capacity can be increased virtually without limit, just by adding more spare composting chambers. These can be purchased when the system is initially bought, or as the need for them arises.
The GL Systems, particularly the GL 90 have become Australia’s best sellers – especially for Tiny Homes. The GT Systems have been used for over 25 years and are leaders in Composting Toilet technology. Green Loo is proud to be able to offer this superior product, and the versatility it offers, to you.
The Rota Loo 650 and 950 models are also a split system batch composting system suitable for family use. Their ingenious carousel mechanism is unique in the composting toilet world.
The CF (Cultus Fulcrum) family is our split continuous composting toilet solution. With three sizes to offer, the CF series can cater for every need – from domestic to commercial, low to high usage.
Eco-Remote Composting Toilet
If you don’t have underfloor space for a conventional split system but you’d like to have a composting toilet with maximum capacity and minimal water use, the Eco-Remote Composting Toilet is the new Gold Standard of composting toilets.
This unique system allows for the composting unit to be installed up to 15 meters away from the toilet!
Split System Composting Toilets (for Public Applications)
The Capacity of these systems is usually larger, typically from 10-20 People or more and require below floor installation.
Systems that can service these requirements are: the Enviro Loo series, the Green Loo GT 330 (with optional extra containers) and Rota – Loo 2000 , or the CF 8/CF 14.
There are many situations when human waste needs to be processed in a waterless, odourless, environmentally friendly and complete safe manner.
Green Loo has ideal solutions for homes, parks, remote locations and sensitive environments where septic is not an option.
The In’s and Out’s of Composting Toilets
Some carbon-based material or bulking agent, such as softwood shavings or peat, should be added daily or with each use. This gives the proper carbon–nitrogen mix, helps aerate the compost and prevents compacting. The help of a bulking agent aids in the composting process to produce good compost, faster.
Compost needs to be removed from the container when it is sufficiently decomposed. The frequency of removal depends on the size of container, how often the system is used, and local climatic conditions. The minimum ‘fallow’ period should be three months. This compost can be used as wonderful organic fertiliser dug into your garden or disposed of according to local council regulations.
