[Kim50]

Hi all – I have been tasked to investigate composting toilets / eco loos for the allotment.  If anyone has had these installed, I would be interested in knowing how you got on with them.  In particular, the cost, ease of use and how easy are they to keep clean

any pros and cons

Thanks Kim

[sarajane]

We have one on our site that was paid for by our local council with ottery funds (i think).  I can ask later in the week for you how much it cost when installed 3 years ago.  We are on a big 200+ site and it is well used especially by the ladies and children.

Entry is by key holders only which stops just anyone using it and therefore well respected and the 'regulars' keep it clean.

I'l let you know more later in the week.

[compostqueen]

There are a few mentioned in the NSALG mag which are proper jobs for the allotment site. They are Eco loos though.

They're called Kazuba loos 

The Bath Organic Group have built their own eco loos, and advise groups on how to build their own. These are garden sheds on raised platforms with a straw bale, wire netting, bio mass type willows round the base.  They have a plan of one published on the internet. I think an allotment site in Barnsley built one using this plan, and theirs is open for people to visit. 

The Kazuba loos will probably be more acceptable to the local authority I suspect as although they want to be seen to be green they are a bit nervous about the shi* problem

[Plottered]

I know of one on a community garden site but I'm not sure how successful it is or how much it cost. I know when it was installed I was amazed how just like a normal toilet it was just without the flush bit. It also has a living roof I'll find out how much it cost and where it was bough for you.

[surbie100]

We've got one on our site - photos of the build are here:
http://www.agaa.org.uk/photos/album?album_id=6688525&page=1

I don't know how much it cost, but can ask if it's of interest. We have 110+ plots on the site and plotholders have agreed to take care of it. It's in the wooded bit of the site and has no smell, not one tiny bit...No problems so far with cleaning/upkeep as far as I know, other than there is not reliably any toilet paper. Not something you want to leave to chance!

[crh75]

Nice photos.  What happens when it fills up? Will you have to use a different toilet untill it has finished composting down and is ready to be emptied and used?

[surbie100]

It's been in use a while and is no where near full - I don't think that it gets too much use. I think that the idea is to move the waste for composting when needed. The waste is quite dry, so not whiffy.

(we do this in Norway in the summer cabins with no flushing loos, so perhaps I'm more used to the concept too...)

[crh75]

I'm not at all adverse to the idea, it just that when I have seem this before they had two loos - one for use and one composting.

I suppose in the summer cabins the loos get left all winter and can be emptied first thing in the spring!

[surbie100]

I suppose in the summer cabins the loos get left all winter and can be emptied first thing in the spring!

Noooooooo, you empty (bury) and clean when you leave. Usually the person who lost the most at cards gets the job, at least in our family!

[Sideshoot]

my dad used to use a bucket lined with newspaper if he needed to go for a number 2.
When he was done he rolled up the newspaper and  added it to the compost heap lol

[thedadtony]

Too much info S.S.

[angelavdavis]

We have been investigating the kazubaloo system at our site.  It is not cheap, but is a good clean system that doesn't require someone to empty it.  You can google this solution and an excellent briefing document is available from Barnet allotments.  I also found another allotment site who had installed a enviroloo - the photos are in their gallery:  http://www.slugallotments.co.uk/gallery.asp

If you look on youtube, there are various ideas for alternative solutions.

One idea which I believe is what surbie's site uses is to utilise wheelie bins so once full, you can wheel them into a sheltered corner out of the way to compost down before emptying it out on the hedges around the edges of the site.  This solution is also in use elsewhere in our area at allotment sites.  At our site, there is no one who really wants to have to do this :happy:

I went to a local woods where they had a straw based solution.  There was an elevated toilet kiosk, under which there were straw bales piled up (I assume with a gap in the centre).  You then add sawdust on top after you have used it.  I assume they wheel the toilet kiosk elsewhere to start it again, allowing the original composting heap to rot down.  There is a lot of info online if you google straw bale composting toilet.

If you look at my diary, I show details of the kazubaloo we are planning to install.