Everything environmentally friendly matters more than ever before. Composting toilets are where it’s at, and you won’t believe how much these portable toilets can help save the planet – and save your sanity when it comes to tiny space living off-grid or on-the-road! So here’s the lowdown on these eco-friendly toilets and why they are the perfect solution for camping, campervan bathrooms, van life, tiny homes, and living off-grid!

What is a Composting Toilet? 

Before we begin, we should first address the question, “what is a composting toilet?” A compost toilet is a portable waterless toilet that uses the power of nature – decomposition – to turn human waste into compost. But it’s not a gross outhouse or a porta-potty that is the bane of outdoor adventurers everywhere; composting toilets are clean, compact, and smell significantly less than a typical toilet, all the while performing serious recycling mojo magic without using a drop of water – or, in the case of other toilet systems, gallons of water!

Compost toilets, also called dry toilets since they require no water to flush, come in different sizes, systems, and tank capacities, so they’re perfect for everyone anywhere. Tiny homes, cabins, campervans, conversion vans, boats, back-of-trucks, off-grid living – no matter the size (or location) of your space, composting toilets got you covered! 

How do Composting Toilets work? 

Composting toilet systems are self-contained, meaning they take care of the whole compost deal right inside the toilet. However, the best portable bathroom option is a composting toilet with urine diverter, so that liquids are kept separate from solids. This removes the unpleasant odors that come from sewage so that even in the smallest of spaces, your composting toilet does not smell – although, for the exceptionally curious out there, if you put your nose near the composting bin, it will have the subtle scent of a mossy forest floor. 

The best compost toilets must separate liquids from solids; the liquids go into one chamber, whereas the solids go into a separate bin full of environmentally friendly material such as sawdust, peat moss, or coco coir. These natural substances help break down the solid waste into dry compost material with the aid of oxygen, aeration, temperature, and aerobic organisms – Mother Nature knows best! 

What are the advantages of a Dry Composting Toilet?

Are composting toilets worth the hype? They certainly are if you are into:

• Saving money (and the planet!)
• Saving water and reducing wastewater
• Reducing your reliance on old-school plumbing
• Lessening your environmental impact on our Earth
• Handling your business when water is in short supply
• Solving toilet troubles in places where septic systems are a no-go
• Gardening and creating compost for your plants (after adequate decomposition) 

What about the disadvantages of a Compost Toilet?

Naturally, there are a few downsides to a natural composting toilet system:

• Smaller portable toilet systems have limited capacity 
• If not maintained properly, they could get a little stinky
• You must manually empty composting toilets when they’re full
• And that’s it! 

How to Empty a Composting Toilet with Urine Diverter 

As magical as composting toilets may be, someone still has to manually empty the bathroom situation. The frequency depends on the toilet and how many people are using it. A self-contained dry toilet with urine diverter needs to be emptied when either the liquid or solid container is full. Since these two are separated, you can easily empty either whenever one of them reaches capacity.  

But how do you actually empty a composting toilet? Well, for the liquid chamber, it’s best to do it before it’s completely full, and the best composting toilets on the market will notify you when the bottle is full to prevent any spillage. You can easily empty the liquid into a bathroom that’s hooked up to a sewer, or you may rid it in the wild so long as it is far enough away from any animals and fresh water source. 

For the solids in a composting toilet system, you can tell it’s time to empty when it gets tough to turn the base handle. A smart tip is to wait about 8 hours after your last bathroom visit before emptying the solid waste chamber. This gives the decomposition process a little head start, and emptying the solid waste bin is quick, easy, and painless. Always check with certain sanitary restrictions in the area that you are in, but most of the time, human waste is allowed to be thrown away in the garbage, so long as it is tied tightly in a bag. If you are living off-grid and wish to use the compost toilet’s contents in your garden, it is best to wait at least 6 months before planting your human manure… or humanure!

What is the Best Composting Toilet? 

We may be a bit partial, but we believe Cuddy the Composting Toilet is the best compost toilet system on the market! Cuddy was cleverly designed to fit in the smallest of spaces, making it the best toilet option for van life, tiny homes, campervans, and off-grid living. Our composting toilet with urine diverter maximizes convenience, comfort, and usability while minimizing the need to empty often and removing the need for chemicals and wasting any water whatsoever. Read more about the best composting toilet, Cuddy!

So there you have it, folks: everything you need to know about composting toilets has been answered! Are you ready to jump on the eco-friendly train and make a greener choice today? Cuddy the Composting Toilet is your ticket to a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly future!