Composting /separating toilets in a motorhome

[Busybees]

Hi. We are considering exchanging the domestic cassette toilet for a separating composting toilet so that we don't have to empty the smelly cassette as we want to wild camp for several days at a time. Has anyone any experience with them in a motorhome? Do you recommend using one at all or recommend any particular make. Thanks.

 

[Ivory55]

Where are you going to compost the toilet stuff when you empty it, are you going to carry it around with you and take it home ?

 

[Busybees]

I mean a separating toilet where the pee and the pooh are collected in different containers. The pee bottle gets emptied down a toilet or suitable place and the pooh and its drying medium are put in biodegradable bags and put into general waste bins as is done with such toilets in boats. I am looking for a small separating toilet as the bathroom does not have a lot of space.

 

[Ivory55]

Oh so basically you want to crap in a bag and put it someone’s dustbin. Nice for someone to find at the waste depot.

 

[Busybees]

This is a system in use on the canal system and widely used on boats. It is double bagged and can I presume also be put in dog pooh bins as dog pooh bags are put in general waste too.

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[bigtwin]

I mean a separating toilet where the pee and the pooh are collected in different containers. The pee bottle gets emptied down a toilet or suitable place and the pooh and its drying medium are put in biodegradable bags and put into general waste bins as is done with such toilets in boats. I am looking for a small separating toilet as the bathroom does not have a lot of space.

This is a system in use on the canal system and widely used on boats. It is double bagged and can I presume also be put in dog pooh bins as dog pooh bags are put in general waste too.

Not anymore by all accounts; it seems that the CaRT are being taken to task over their previous suggestions to boaters that this was acceptable. They have now changed their position and many boaters are very unhappy about that.

I understand that the CaRT’s waste contractor has pointed out the unacceptability/illegality of the CaRT’s previous practice.

Ian

 

[Busybees]

Thank you for this information as I didn't know. What are they suggesting is done with it instead now they have encouraged people to opt for this system?

Maybe someone who uses a separating system can say how they dispose of the waste.

 

[Ivory55]

I would think that the responsible thing to do is take it home and compost it in your garden. Having a crap in a bag and dumping it in someone’s dust bin is not composting is it. If this is what people are doing do you think locals would want Aires in there village or town.

 

[Busybees]

That is one way to deal with it.
Anyone who uses a separating/composting toilet have any suggestions please? Is it a no go?

 

[Googlebot]

Thank you for this information as I didn't know. What are they suggesting is done with it instead now they have encouraged people to opt for this system?

Maybe someone who uses a separating system can say how they dispose of the waste.

A friend uses cat litter and then throws it into domestic waste. He has to tie the bags to his wing mirrors if he doesn’t bin it immediately as the animals rip the bags open.

The only advantage to my standard system is the fact that domestic bins are more plentiful than chemical waste points.

I have to say I am not a fan, composting toilets work by composting, all you are doing is mixing Pooh with biodegradable plastic and sending it to landfill. There is no composting occurring except rotting with other waste in landfill after a stinky journey.

That plus the fact you are throwing your pooh into a bin for normal waste. I accept dog pooh goes the same way, but if I could train my dog to sit on the bowl, she wouldn’t need pooh bags.

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[Eggs]

This is a system in use on the canal system and widely used on boats. It is double bagged and can I presume also be put in dog pooh bins as dog pooh bags are put in general waste too.

I'm afraid it isn't, maybe a few, but not many narrowboats have composting toilets. Most still use cassettes or a pump out tank.

Having seen it on the canals I'd give it a miss.

 

[Lenny HB]

I too can't see the point of a composting toilet then putting it a bag. Better off using a cassette with a SOG so no chemicals then if you are stuck for emptying you can dig a hole any bury it.
We always carry a spare cassette so we can do 6 to 7 days, in that time we have always found somewhere to empty.

 

[bigtwin]

Thank you for this information as I didn't know. What are they suggesting is done with it instead now they have encouraged people to opt for this system?

Maybe someone who uses a separating system can say how they dispose of the waste.

They have never encouraged it but rather have tolerated it. Whereas in the past they may not have emphasised how the waste should be composted and may have provided guidance on what to do if boaters couldn’t compost the waste (double bagging and binning), they are now clear that if you cannot compost the waste then these toilets should not be used.

I'm afraid it isn't, maybe a few, but not many narrowboats have composting toilets. Most still use cassettes or a pump out tank.

Having seen it on the canals I'd give it a miss.

There have been increasing numbers of boaters using these toilets (perhaps encouraged by vloggers and the perceived environmental benefits associated with ‘composting’) but the CaRT’s recent edicts on what is acceptable is certainly causing users to reconsider. Unfortunately, it seems that some users have resorted to dumping the dry waste in Elsan points with resultant blockages occurring.

Ian

 

[Sundowners]

Composting loos are becoming increasing popular------ so better get used them
I wonder how long between 'solid' emptying?? ----' I believe most of the content of a cassette is liquid----- so maybe weeks ??

 

[CamperJack]

I looked into it for my build because a few youtubers have them. But after much thought....

1) I don't see the point in composting in a van. It never gets composted. On an off grid smallholding, sure. But bagging it up and putting it in a bin for it to fester until emptied into landfill? Doesn't seem all that eco to me.

2) I am totally unconvinced by the argument that they are less smelly.

3) If they were less smelly you wouldn't need a fan, which they all seem to come with. The idea of a sog is baffling to me. Wafting your stench into the next camper?

3) I don't think the idea of emptying the solids from a "composter" is any less unpleasant. In fact, to me, it sounds a great deal more horrific than pouring a brown / black liquid into a toilet or elsan and flushing it away!

4) Have you seen the price of them!! A natures head seems to be the go to, and it's about a grand. My 365 porta potti (I think the biggest) was only £85.

5) Carrying compost materials takes space / weight. Concentrated liquids are minimal in both weight and space.

6) I don't agree with the idea of burying anything. Animals can and do dig it up. And it looks bad. It may or may not be bad but that's not how it appears to onlookers and I sometimes think we have a bad enough name as it is.


I'm interested to hear the other side though!!

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[RubyOptics]

I too can't see the point of a composting toilet then putting it a bag. Better off using a cassette with a SOG so no chemicals then if you are stuck for emptying you can dig a hole any bury it.
We always carry a spare cassette so we can do 6 to 7 days, in that time we have always found somewhere to empty.

I second this. We have a second cassette as well and even with three of us, that's enough for a good 4-5 days. I would get a third, but by then we normally need to refill our fresh tank anyway so use the opportunity to kill 2 birds with one stone. Oh, we also always ensure we are using the green liquid so as not to disturb any septic-tank type systems we may need to empty into.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

There is a thread somewhere the the incinerator toilets.

 

[RubyOptics]

There is a thread somewhere the the incinerator toilets.

That discussion got rather heated if I recall

 

[wiljoy]

Nappies??????

 

[deleted79651]

That discussion got rather heated if I recall

I think 'the curried crapper' probably killed off further conversation ...

'Ashes to ashes,
Dust to dust,
Fire up the burner,
The curry needs flushed'

Steve

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[Minxy]

The theory of them sound good but on a practical note it doesn't appear to work in a MH situation in reality.

Remember is that the dry isn't really dry as it will be a mix of dry and moist from your latest ablutions which won't have had the chance to compost so will still smell and be classed as 'hazardous waste' (especially so in Covid times!)

You'd still have to dispose of the separated wet and dry waste somewhere and whilst you can pour the wet down an Elsan point or toilet you can't do that with the dry thus you have to find somewhere suitable to dump it, just putting in a normal roadside public bin is really a no-no which so means you'd need to search out a more suitable waste disposal site which are likely to be very rare beasties.

The hassle of having a compositing (or more realistically a semi-composting) toilet in a MH to me seems counter-productive as it seems to come with more hassle and a lot more expense than the usual cassette method where adding a second, or even third, cassette can easily extend the time you can stay without having to do your ablution servicing.

 

[Langtoftlad]

From all the hippie chick van life youtube vids I've seen - emptying is a PITA...
...seems like the whole toilet has to be removed before you can get to the container to remove the solids.

 

[bigtwin]

Thank you for this information as I didn't know. What are they suggesting is done with it instead now they have encouraged people to opt for this system?

Maybe someone who uses a separating system can say how they dispose of the waste.

The topic has had considerable debate on one of the canal boat fora, this thread runs to 40 pages:

C&RT say don’t empty your compost toilet in our bins.

Ian

 

[Busybees]

Thank you to every one who has contributed to this discussion. It has been most interesting. I am off to read the C&RT thread now and 40 pages will take some time !
I still like the idea of basic separating toilets ( not the natures head - wow £K !) in theory and as we return home every 2/3 weeks storing the stuff in a sealed bin in the storage area until we get home to the compost heap and won't take up more space than a spare cassette with less chance of leakage. Off to read the thread..... )

 

[bigtwin]

Thank you to every one who has contributed to this discussion. It has been most interesting. I am off to read the C&RT thread now and 40 pages will take some time !
I still like the idea of basic separating toilets ( not the natures head - wow £K !) in theory and as we return home every 2/3 weeks storing the stuff in a sealed bin in the storage area until we get home to the compost heap and won't take up more space than a spare cassette with less chance of leakage. Off to read the thread..... )

Sniffing around further, it seems that there are 70 separate threads with ‘compost’ in the title on that forum:

Various Composting Toilet Threads!

Ian

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[Busybees]

Thanks for that extra link Ian. More reading - all good. Who would have thought composting toilet could be so interesting.