| Among the eco-conscious crowd, composting toilets | | | | designed so that you never have to come into |
| are a very commonplace product. Not only do they | | | | contact with the waste inside. Homemade systems |
| provide a natural form of waste disposal by recycling | | | | aren't usually as sophisticated, meaning that you may |
| waste back to the earth, but they also save an | | | | end up having to manually check the contents |
| enormous amount of water and money. There are | | | | yourself to see if your compost is finished yet. |
| many different types of composting toilets, but | | | | 4. Homemade units present a potential biohazard. |
| generally they fall into one of two categories: | | | | Because professional systems are regulated and |
| professionally manufactured systems and homemade | | | | most of them meet certain standards, they are |
| units. In spite of the fact that doing it yourself has | | | | tested and certified to produce a clean and sanitary |
| become a major movement in the United States and | | | | end compost (to be on the safe side, though, always |
| around the world, building a composting toilet is not | | | | check out a manufacturer's certifications before |
| something you should add to your DIY to-do list. In | | | | making a purchase). With a homemade toilet, you |
| this article, we'll explain the top 5 important reasons | | | | don't have any of those safeguards to guarantee |
| why you shouldn't attempt to build your own | | | | that the finished compost is pathogen-free. |
| composting toilet: | | | | 5. For all of the reasons mentioned above, |
| 1. Homemade composting toilets may smell bad. | | | | homemade composting toilets probably won't pass |
| Professionally manufactured units are designed with | | | | muster with your local building department. Whenever |
| special venting systems and fans to make them | | | | you engage in a home remodeling project or install a |
| 100% odorless. If you build your own toilet, it would | | | | new fixture like a toilet, it's important to check your |
| be very difficult to replicate the same type of | | | | local building code to see what permits or approvals |
| venting system that makes professional units | | | | are needed for the work. If composting toilets aren't |
| odorless. | | | | an approved waste treatment method in your city |
| 2. Homemade composting toilets are slow to produce | | | | yet, it's usually pretty easy to get a building |
| finished compost. Many homemade composting toilets | | | | department to approve a professionally |
| are nothing more than a toilet seat fitted over a 5 | | | | manufactured system. Just print out the product |
| gallon bucket. In these instances, when the bucket | | | | specifications and certifications and take them to |
| gets full, it's transported to another location (usually | | | | your local officials. With a homemade system, it's not |
| outdoors, for obvious reasons), and then may take 2 | | | | quite that easy, and most home made toilets aren't |
| to 3 years before the bucket can be opened and the | | | | going to pass code. |
| material inside has turned into finished compost. A | | | | The bottom line is, a composting toilet system is a |
| professional composting toilet is designed to hold all | | | | sophisticated piece of equipment, designed to |
| the material in one place, and it finishes the product | | | | operate in an odorless and sanitary manner. When |
| much more quickly, usually within several months, | | | | you try to build your own composting toilet, you're |
| depending on how often it's used. | | | | really taking a roll of the dice, and who knows what |
| 3. Homemade compost toilets don't have a system | | | | you may come out with. In almost every case, it is |
| for separating fresh waste from partially finished or | | | | always better to spend the money buying a |
| completely finished compost. Most people have some | | | | professionally manufactured system. After all, |
| feelings of hesitation about composting toilets in the | | | | composting toilets are just like many other things in |
| first place. However, this is usually pretty easy to | | | | life: you get what you pay for. |
| overcome, because modern, high tech systems are | | | | |