Compost toilets

Many types of compost toilets are available today. They are designed to suit a variety of customs, cultures and climates, and vary enormously in price. Composting of human faeces is as old as the hills - it is Nature's way of safely reintegrating human waste with the soil. All compost toilets, however simple or complex, are devices for helping Nature achieve this.  Contrary to popular opinion compost toilets can be very clean and hygienic and do not smell. They save huge quantities of water in a world where water is becoming an increasingly precious resource. For example, a family with a water flush toilet would use at least 100,000 litres of water a year for flushing. They protect surface and ground water from sewage pollution and, unlike water flush toilets, compost toilets do not produce sewage and do not smell. This technical brief describes a compost toilet that has proved to be most effective in waterlogged areas where pit-latrines and septic tanks are inappropriate. It is a simple design that does not require electricity or great investment.  Built using local materials, it is a selfcontained unit that produces good compost and protects the soil and water from any contamination.