Welcome to Composting Guide
Large Scale Composting Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
Flush Down Your Waste With A Composting Toilet
from:You may have heard of the importance of composting your household waste, but have did you ever think that some are taking it a step further by using a composting toilet? This may be newer thinking for some countries but many areas use this as a regular practice and it may find its way to your home.
What Is This All About?
What is a composting toilet? Well, it would be any system that can convert human waste into organic compost that would be usable in soil. This occurs through a natural breakdown of organic matter into its essential minerals. Micro-organisms and macro-organisms do this over time through various stages of oxidation and localized pockets of aerobic breakdown.
Can This Be A Safe?
Even human waste can break down to compost, eventually, but is it safe to use a composting toilet? Well here are some concerns that may require further study:
• Coming into contact with human waste that has not been composted properly or is composted incompletely may be dangerous. Bacteria other disease carrying pathogens may be present.
• Human fertilizer should not be used for food crops, but may be okay around non fruit-bearing trees and shrubs. This fertilizer should only be used when it is completely composted. However, there are different schools of thought on how much time is truly needed.
• While composting, human waste can reach temperatures of 104-122 degrees Fahrenheit (40-50c). In some situations, the compost will need to be pasteurized and sterilized before use.
A few other interesting facts to examine are:
• Why many developed countries would not be comfortable with the this idea because of some of the concerns, it is a known fact that when the process is done correctly, then it does not pose any more risk then the waste removal systems already in place. Education would be the most effective way to convince people of the benefits of a composting toilet.
• Many areas may not allow a composting toilet without a septic field. The gray water would still need a place to be treated, however many reputable manufacturers of composting toilets would be able to help navigate the regulation concerns.
• A properly designed composting toilet system that does not require water would completely reduce the waste to a mere 1-2%, in about 4-6 years; with a variety of processes involving bacteria, fungi, worms, and other micro and macro-organisms.
• The amount of electricity needed may outweigh the benefits of a composting toilet. However, if a community is in an arid climate then water conservation would be the main concern while a community that has limited electricity capabilities may not think that a composting toilet would be a good idea.
A compost toilet system is not a new idea. Historically there are designs from the 1800's. There has always been a need to find a proper way to dispose of human waste and maybe the technology of a composting toilet is not a bad idea.
Large Scale Composting News
Surrey to wait for ALC ruling on compost plant
Surrey city staff have recommended an alternative site be found for a compost plant proposed for South Surrey. But council rejected the suggestion, instead deciding to await a ruling from the Agricultural Land Commission.
Read more...Sunny Ridge Microbial Solutions Helps Growers Increase the Yields and Quality of Their Crops the Green Way With Worm ...
Sunny Ridge Microbial Solutions announces the launch of their website where eco-conscious gardeners and farmers can find solutions for producing bigger yields and higher quality crops using worm castings, vermicompost, and compost tea instead of harmful chemical fertilizers.
Read more...Hampstead recyclables will add to Derry's trash treasure
Thanks in large part to Joanie Cornetta, Derry pulled in nearly $450,000 in revenue from trash-related commodities last year.
Read more...Detroiters reap farms' benefits
Community-based farming programs have grown from about 100 to more than 1,000 in the past five years, which may help turn Detroit's "food deserts," as Chicago researcher Mari Gallagher calls them, into oases.
Read more...PoochPlanet® Turns Plastic Bottles Into Fluffy EcoRest® Filled Pet Beds
Dog owners who buy PoochPlanet® pet beds for their cozy good looks can also take comfort in knowing their purchase is helping prevent millions of plastic bottles from ending up in landfills.
Read more...U.S. Midwest cities divert trash from landfill, rewards residents for recycling
Some twenty years ago, dumpster trucks typically hauled trash Americans generated to landfills, but attitudes have since changed partly due to the infamous Mobro barge instance in 1987. The barge spent about five months looking for a landfill to dispose 3,100 tons of trash and ignited a public outcry about the shortage of landfill space and how waste can be better managed.
Read more...Africa: Continent's Market-Led Development - Pro-Corporation, Anti-Farmer
USAID administrator Rajiv Shah recently gave a speech to the US Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) in Washington DC entitled 'Achieving high impact development: a vision for USAID'. Shah's idea of high-impact development was a 'distinctly American' contribution: the 'culture of risk-taking and entrepreneurship'. In a speech heavy with platitudes about American diversity, dedication and ...
Read more...