How often do I need to empty a composting toilet?
How often you need to empty a composting toilet depends entirely on which model you have. A distinction can be made between different types of composting toilets. The best-known dry toilets are the classic separating toilet, which works with a separating insert and bag, and the higher-quality toilet - the so-called composting toilet. A composting toilet with a bag system is more compact and therefore has a shorter range. As the solids container and urine canister have a smaller capacity, they have to be emptied after 2-3 days of continuous use by 2 people. A composting toilet, on the other hand, has a larger volume and therefore, depending on the type, a range of 4-6 weeks, which corresponds to 60-80 uses. With this dry toilet, the litter is filled into the solid waste container directly before use. The urine container should be emptied after 3 days at the latest, otherwise an unpleasant odour may develop. If an odour has nevertheless formed, the urine canister can be cleaned with a mixture of vinegar and water or, in the case of heavy deposits, with pure vinegar. It is important that you do not rinse with clean water and that the container dries out well before you put it back in the toilet.
How to dispose of toilet waste?
There are various ways to dispose of toilet waste from dry toilets. One option is decentralised recycling on your own property or in your own garden. If you want to dispose of the waste on your property, you should put it in the composter. Together with other garden waste, composting takes place here and valuable compost or hummus is created, which can then be reused. One of our tips is to use a closed composter in which the composting takes place. This means that no black water can form due to the penetration of rainwater. If the urine is diluted with water, it can be used as organic fertiliser. The second option is to dispose of the solids in the residual waste. To do this, they must be placed in a bin liner, which can be disposed of with household waste. The urine canister is emptied over the toilet, which is connected to a sewerage system.
The natural separation of faeces
As the name "composting toilet" suggests, faeces are separated naturally. There is a separation insert in every composting toilet, which separates the urine and solids from each other and channels them into the container provided. This makes it possible for both components to be returned to nature. With conventional composting toilets that work with bags, this insert can usually be removed to access the canisters. With composting toilets, such as our OGO Origin, the separating insert is permanently installed as it also serves as a screen for the faeces. The solids container and the urine container can be removed from the front.
What to do with urine from composting toilets?
As the urine is collected and separated from the faeces, it can also be disposed of separately. The disposal of dry toilets is very simple because no chemicals are added and there is no need for a disposal station. Once the urine canister is full, it is removed from the composting toilet and closed. Depending on the model of the composting toilet, it can be removed from the top or from the front. The urine can then be disposed of in a conventional toilet at home. If you pay attention to the ecological aspect, which composting toilets always bring with them, you can also dilute the urine with water and use it as fertiliser for non-edible plants in the garden. If you are travelling with your camper, you can also tip the liquid into a gully or into the woods where it won't bother anyone.
How should faeces be handled?
With composting toilets, the faeces are separated from the liquids and can therefore be disposed of separately. In a composting toilet with a bag, the litter is placed on top of the faeces after each use to cover them. This ensures that no gases can form and no odour can arise. In addition, the litter is used to dry the faeces, which also inhibits the formation of odours directly in the dry toilet. The toilet paper can also be disposed of in this. Once the solid waste bag is full, you can tie it up, take it out of the toilet and dispose of it in the residual waste. There is no contact with the faeces at any time. With composting toilets, the litter is already in the solid waste canister and therefore does not need to be added by hand. Handling and disposal are very similar to classic composting toilets. The difference is that with this type of composting toilet, pre-composting takes place in the solids container. This means that these end up directly in the canister with agitator and not in an inserted bag. The container for faeces is already filled with litter before use. There is also a fan and an exhaust air hose in the composting toilet. This combination ensures that the solids remain dry and no odour is produced. The contents are emptied into a bin liner, which can then also be disposed of with the residual waste. The fact that the built-in agitator keeps the litter moving upwards means that there is no contact with the faeces. As with other dry toilets, the toilet paper can also be placed directly into the faeces container. However, you should make sure that the toilet paper is a maximum of 2-ply, otherwise the agitator will not be able to tear it. In addition, the filling volume of the dry toilet is reached more quickly. Alternatively, the toilet paper can be disposed of separately in a bucket.
What are potential pathogens?
As you do not come into contact with the faeces, the risk of potential pathogens is very low. However, if you are suffering from an illness such as gastroenteritis, you should make sure that the composting toilet's solid waste container is emptied daily. This prevents germs from collecting and settling in the container or camper. After disposal, for example in the composter, the risk is also considered low, as the potential pathogens are rendered harmless by the microorganisms during composting. These microorganisms play a major role in the transformation process and contribute to the safety and environmental compatibility of composting.