What should we do with our poo?

Two of the main issues in the green and eco-conscious community are the amount of water we use to flush our toilets and how our waste pollutes the environment. The poop question is one that I have seen answered in a variety of laughable, interesting, and sometimes quite simple ways. I wanted to write a bit about two ways, one an old classic and the other a new and wildly interesting perceptual treatment of poop. Spreading the word will hopefully make these simple and useful world-changing ideas more widely recognized and therefore more widely used.

I think my personal favorite - and one I hope gains steam - is using our poop as fertilizer. As compost heaps become more popular and people understand which waste can be used for what, it is becoming less disgusting to the non-farmer to consider poop of all sorts as the great fertilizer it is. Yet the difference between "poop" and "manure" really lies in who pooped it. Buying a nice bag of not-too-stinky horse manure is a lot less stomach-turning than scooping up Spot's poop to put on the azaleas, much less considering human poop for the job.

New technologies are creating ways in which we may not have to deal with our poop in order to use it. Well, the technology isn't quite new in most cases but it is novel to some of our sensibilities. There are several different types of composting toilets to choose from but the basic concepts are that they are waterless (or very low water) and dehydrate our defecation and turn them into good ole fertilizer. There are self-contained units that allow the toilets to be placed almost anywhere (though some need some small extras like a hole in the wall for venting and a place to hook up the overflow hose), units that are waterless but are hooked to a larger composting area directly below the toilet, and units that use very little water and consist of a central composting unit with several toilets. There is a type of composting toilet for families of any size of households of any type.

Of course the price can be major. We're talking about $1000+ (more like $2000 in many cases to be realistic) per system and a per-toilet fee of around $300 for the large units with add-on options. So for many people with working septic systems and toilets such an expense (and basic overhaul of system) may not be ideal. But as more people buy the units the prices will go down so least we can do is spread the word and our higher-paid friends may be interested.

If you do want to own a system and you're not sure if you can afford it, make it a goal. Give yourself a year or two to save or check with dealers to see if payment plans are provided. Bug your local Lowe's or Home Depot about stocking them (or write to the main offices of the businesses) and they will be subject to the sales and promotions at those stores. Actually, some toilets are already offered as a special purchase from these retailers. Refurbished options of some toilets are also available here. Trim some things from your lifestyle to save extra money and let it be a challenge to get rid of a bad habit to pay for a good one. Also, check with your county and state to see if there are green initiatives or tax breaks that may help make the systems more affordable.

The other topic on the subject of what to do with our poop is the brainchild of Virginia Gardiner. Virginia created the LooWatt, a toilet that turns poop into gas for cooking. This demo toilet requires a bit more interaction with your poop than some are probably willing to go through but the toilet is waterless and energy-less and it solves two problems. Of course this product will also be expensive (quite, I'm sure) when/if it becomes something found in the marketplace but it is an entirely novel idea which could definitely make a heavy imprint on the way we rid ourselves of waste. It is the poop circle of life (or the circle of poo for the South Park/Mr. Hankey fans reading this).

I tried to put a lot of hyperlinks in this post to make it easier to learn more but here are some extra links for composting toilets and the poop discussion in general. Any novel ways you've learned to deal with poop? What about conserving water in toilets or "gray water" usage? Do you own or have you tried a composting toilet? What did you think? I'm not editing this one so excuse any grammar and spelling mistakes. I will edit it at a later date hopefully. All of this talk about poop has stimulated my bowels...

Composting Toilets

http://sun-mar.com/index.html

http://www.biolet.com/resources/id/Composting-Toilet-Overview

http://www.clivusmultrum.com

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/07/pop-a-squat-would-you-use_n_226619.html