How to deal with... "waste"

[FarmerChick]

Noobie you just killed me on that sentence big time! UGH---I mean really now...HAHAHA

well that is what I am saying....move like the bear. Poop in different locations.

I think the military dug latrines. Maybe check into how the military digs in and handles their waste. Hmm....might check into that..LOL

oh yes keep it out of the water definitely. Barb (dairy farm owner) had to fence off all her creeks a long time back...cause cows swim and poop. Yup, regulation says no cows near open water. Oh well....

 

[Beekissed]

I find this whole subject fascinating too. What a valuable resource going to waste, along with the water, down the crapper. I love the idea of a composting toilet for all the right reasons....it's recycling, it adds to the soil, it doesn't waste water, it doesn't require electricity.

I experimented with using urine this year for fertilizer and found some fantastic results. Will be repeating this on next years garden as well.

I need to read that book again...it has been far too long since I read it.

 

[2dream]

This topic gives a whole new meaning to "If the SHTF".

Can I give up my nice "flush with water, into the septic tank, no muss no fuss indoor plumbing". If I had to. Yes.

Until I absolutely have to. NO.

This is the very last thing on my list of things to switch out. No wait. I checked my list. Its not on there at all.

Noobie, I really see where you are going with this, and I totally understand with all the environmental issues of today that it is an area that could use some more exploration.

I have read a lot about all the drinking water problems and how the so called purification of our water is not working. And I really know that something needs to be done. But......I just can't give up that flushing toilet yet.

 

[Big Daddy]

I could switch to that cause my poop don't smell. Lor would have to use the other bathroom though.

 

[MorelCabin]

Remind me to start asking more questions when I visit the farmers market...I can deal with knowing my vegies are grown with animal poop as fertilizer...but I really have an issue with using human poop for growing food!

 

[Wifezilla]

Well, do you eat any imported rice?
"Irrigation is the primary agricultural use of human waste in the developing world. But frequently untreated human feces harvested from latrines is delivered to farms and spread as fertilizer.

In most cases, the excrement is used on cereal or grain crops, which are eventually cooked, minimizing the risk of transmitting water-borne pathogens and diseases, IWMI's Drechsel noted.

With fertilizer prices jumping nearly 50 percent per metric ton over the last year in some places, human waste is an attractive, and often necessary, alternative, Redwood said.

In cases where sewage sludge is used, expensive chemical fertilizer use can be avoided, he said. The sludge contains the same critical nutrientsnitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium"
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/08/080821-human-waste.html

Here is an interesting article on China and "night soil"
http://www.slate.com/id/2201466/

 

[bibliophile birds]

i want a composting toilet SO bad!!

when i remodeled the cottage that i'm living in, i put in a greywater system, which i LOVE. i'm collecting rainwater off the roof to feed into the shower and washing machine. it gets minimal filtration, but enough that it's safe in case you forget not to gulp down shower water. the water from the shower and the bathroom sink feeds into the toilet (i use a lot less water for the toilet than i get from the shower and sink, so most of that water ends up in the overflow tank anyway). the toilet, which is low flow, goes to the septic tank, for now. the sinks all get water from the well because i didn't want to invest in a good enough filtration system when i'm only going to be in this cottage for a year or so more. once i move, this cottage will be used for farm-stay customers or newlyweds that get married here.

i'm in the planning stages for my cottage now (it's going to be a strawbale house!). i'm going to incorporate the greywater system there but i want a composting toilet too! the one i want seems like any other toilet from the bathroom (except that it's really really low flow) but it feeds into a composting tank rather than a septic tank. i'm not really sure about all the specifics, but all i will have to do is empty the tank, which is away from the house, after the humanure has already composted. i want to compost it, but i don't want to look at it.

 

[me&thegals]

With fertilizer prices jumping nearly 50 percent per metric ton over the last year in some places, human waste is an attractive (bold mine), and often necessary, alternative, Redwood said.

Uh, that might have been an unfortunate choice of words...

And BD, your claim makes me think you are full of it!!

I've been reading a couple books recently by a Chinese author. I love that term "night soil."

 

[Beekissed]

Remind me to start asking more questions when I visit the farmers market...I can deal with knowing my vegies are grown with animal poop as fertilizer...but I really have an issue with using human poop for growing food!

If the human was a vegan and never took any meds, would that change your mind?

 

[me&thegals]

Way too many diseases are passed in feces. Now take human feces on human food, and ugh!

I am quite sure that poo could be properly decomposed and composted, but I would first want to know at what temp ALL human diseases are killed, be sure the market grewer knew that and complied.

I'd personally have no problem with a composting toilet to be used around things such as fruit and nut trees, though. But I can't imagine that passing inspection for food sales.