Composting toilet

Action Principle

• External composting in replaceable cartridges allows the toilet to be adapted to any number of visitors.
  The panel construction enables compact transportation of the toilet in a disassembled state and quick assembly at the required location.
  The enhanced ventilation system eliminates unpleasant odors.
  The design incorporates natural wood.
• The toilet is suitable for use in areas without centralized sewage systems and with limited electricity (recreational natural areas, etc.) during the frost-free period. It allows for the safe on-site disposal of human waste and converts it into valuable fertilizer for plant nutrition, thereby creating a closed-loop cycle of substances characteristic of natural ecosystems. The toilet provides comfortable conditions (lack of odor and ergonomic design), which positively affect overall perception and a sense of human dignity.
• The toilet is assembled from separate panels and modules. In a disassembled state, it can be compactly folded and transported in a small van or trailer and then assembled at the required location. This requires two people and three hours of work.
• Human waste (urine and feces), together with toilet paper, enters a special replaceable ventilated container cartridge with a volume of about 250 liters, located in the lower part of the toilet. A small amount of wood shavings (cover material) is also regularly added during use. This absorbs excess moisture, prevents odor formation, and balances the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio in the cartridge to an optimal level for proper composting.
• The liquid fraction, in the form of filtrate, is drained from the cartridge into a drainage pit in the soil near the toilet, filled with wood charcoal or shavings. If necessary, this filtrate can also be collected in containers and used as liquid fertilizer.
• After the composting cartridge is filled, it is removed and placed outside the toilet, where the collected material composts directly in it for one year, turning into humus. A new composting cartridge is then installed in the toilet, making it ready for use again. The humus obtained after composting can be used as fertilizer for fruit and berry bushes. After the humus is removed from the cartridge, the cartridge can be reused in the toilet.
• The number of required replaceable cartridges for a specific toilet depends on the frequency of use. For a family toilet, two cartridges are sufficient, while for a recreational facility visited by 50–100 people per day, 5–10 cartridges may be needed.

Maintenance and Servicing

• Regular cleaning is done as with any ordinary toilet.
  Regular addition of a small amount of wood shavings (about half a liter), preferably after each use.
  Removal of the cartridge when it is full and replacement with an empty one (frequency depends on the number of visitors).
  Installation of a composting reservoir on site.
  Emptying the prepared compost from the reservoir.

If you are interested in a composting toilet, contact Bohdan Popov, the head of the “Hlyboki Balyky” eco-station.