David,

Regarding the cultural barriers you mentioned, the public health sector may need to be re-educated and sanitation regulations may require revision before it becomes commonplace to dispose of organic waste of all sorts on site. Eventually something will need to be done, though, because it is becoming prohibitively expensive to connect to a municipal sewer system or install and maintain a private septic system.

I just thought I’d offer the information for those of your readers who might want to take further steps to reduce their household contribution to their local landfill. Oh, and good article.

But, you’re right, we should be composting all of our domestic waste including toilet waste as well as re-using our dishwater etc. I believe this is relatively common in Scandinavia, but there are an infrastructure and cultural barriers to surmount elsewhere.

Initial setup requires a galvanized garbage can, some concrete mix, some foam (optional) and a scoop. Neatly cut the top third of the garbage can with a saber saw. Roll the cut edges of both parts of the can with a pliers to prevent injury. Line galvanized lid with plastic and cast a concrete lid using premix concrete. Allow lid to harden for a week. Cut a piece of extruded polystyrene foam to fit loosely inside the top section of the can. Glue to flat side of concrete lid with foam and panel adhesive. Using the top third of the can as a template, dig a hole two to three feet deep. Put the topsoil in the bottom two thirds of the can. Insert upper third of garbage can ring so that it sits flush with the ground or slightly above. Position the concrete lid with the foam down. Place a scoop in the lower part of the can and cover with the galvanized lid to keep the soil dry.

Now you can put whatever sort of organic material you need to dispose of in this “nutrient reservoir” without worries. The list is endless and includes everything listed above except sanitary and infant hygiene products. Periodically sprinkle dirt (and ashes if available) on top of organic materials that wouldn’t normally be introduced into a regular composting system.

When the nutrient reservoir is almost full, pull the garbage can ring, cover with six inches of topsoil, and start another one. You can let it sit for a year or you can put a large bottomless pot over the reservoir and plant squash, melons, or some other vining plant. Another possibility is to make a tiered arrangement with the nutrient reservoir at the center. The outer rings can contain flowers or strawberries; the innermost ring a vining plant.

It seems a shame to flush nutrients down the toilet. It’s a waste of water and fertilizer. Combined with kitchen and yard waste in a nutrient reservoir, human urine and feces are rendered harmless by the biological activity of microorganisms.

Urine is easy to collect. Diluted with water it also can be used to fertilize lawns, moisten compost, or fertilize garden plants.

Feces can be collected using a homemade toilet chair. I built one to use on job sites that consists of a box fitted with a toilet seat and a five gallon bucket. A bucket of humus with a scoop completes the ensemble. Covered with humus, the feces does not emit any noticeable odor.

Finally, in Deuteronomy 23:12-13 one reads, “You shall also have a place outside the camp and go out there, and you shall have a spade among your tools, and it shall be when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and shall turn to cover up your excrement.”

Fecal matter is already half composted because it consists of 50 to 60 percent dead gut microbes. Once the composting process is complete, a month’s worth of feces can fit in a shoe box.