Composting Toilet is an
Off-the-Grid Must-Have

A composting toilet is an off the grid must have, both providing rich nutrients for your garden and saving money over the long run by replacing the ordinary toilet – the single biggest waster of water in your home.

Ordinary toilets will sometimes use between four to six gallons of water per flush.

The composting commode on the other hand will use very little water. The long-term savings could be phenomenal. If you've never heard of one or seen one in action, you may have some misconceptions about this marvelous appliance.

If you've ever spent time at an old campground,  you are likely shuddering at the thought of having a compost toilet. My grandparents had a cabin in the wild, and I'd visit it every summer. The cabin had no indoor plumbing, and yep - you guessed it - an outhouse was out back.

It was the most unpleasant, smelly thing I've ever experienced in my life. Think sitting on a wooden bench in a small box, being heated by the sun, with flies buzzing around. 

Not a pleasant way to do your business.

The old campsite port-a-pottys weren't much better. You sit on a toilet seat on a bench over a pit filled with human waste and chemicals. Ewwww! I'm always terrified my cellphone will fall into that filth

But a composting toilet is much better. You can buy one from online stores such as Amazon, or you can make a simple one using a bucket, a toilet seat, and scented gerbil bedding designed to deodorize the smell. Those I have used, and I'd have no trouble using them again.

Those smelly port-a-potties have given composting toilets a bad rap. But composting toilets are not just pots that store...well...you know what. Instead, they work just like your compost pile, only better and far more efficiently than any compost could dream of working.


And like your compost pile, if there is a smell, it means either the self-contained composting toilet is not working properly, or it is overloaded. Follow the guidelines suggested by the manufacturer, and you shouldn't have any smell at all.

Won't They Smell?

Toilet Seat With Urine Diverter

The short answer is no, but with a caveat.

The smelliest part of any toilet deposit is urine. There was a time when I spent a lot of time in a van regularly, and my toilet was a bucket filled with gerbil bedding and a toilet seat. One time after going number one, I forgot to empty the toilet that night. The next day, the smell of the urine had attracted insects, and it stunk. I solved that problem by purchasing a toilet seat with a urine diverter.

The urine runs into a separate hole and drains through the tube and into a small container. Then you can dump the urine anywhere there's grass. Just don't dump it regularly in the same place. I set this seat on a bucket, and my husband, Rick, built a wooden box around the bucket that he painted to make it look pretty. It worked just fine.

You just have to be sure to check the urine container and dump it regularly, or else it will overflow and make a mess.

Or, save your pennies and invest in a complete composting toilet system. They're well worth the investment.

How Does a Composting Toilet Work?

It's like your compost pile on steroids. Here are some of the features most of these toilets have:

  • A vacuum pump to suck away all the stinky odors and add oxygen to the mix
  • Air baffles that evenly distribute that oxygen and add a bit more
  • Heating units that keep the waste at the best possible temperature
  • Mixing tongs to keep things stirred up so they continue to compost quickly
  • Composting worms and macro-organisms that will eat through the waste and convert it even faster

There are two basic types: The first keeps the waste within the unit itself, completing the composting there, while the second type flushes the waste to a remote unit below the toilet.

What Can Go in Them?

Anything organic, including food scraps, egg shells, paper and cardboard, lawn clippings, clothes from natural fibers and disposable cotton diapers and tampons (without the plastic tags).

Will They Clog Up?

Only if they are overloaded. If the entire extended family drops by, your system should be able to handle the stress, but if you buy a toilet designed for a family of four and you have a family of nine, you might have problems.

How Much Do They Cost?

The good news is the price is going down on self-contained toilets.  While the price used to run about $2,000 American dollars, you can now purchase one for about $1,000.  That's still a pretty high price tag, but you need to think about long-term investment plus savings over the long haul when considering purchasing one of these.

Also, if you are thinking about building your home in the country, these toilets cost less than installing a sewer system. Better still, you are also not dependent on the grid to run your toilet, saving utility costs.  You can learn more here.

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About the Author

My name is Sue Merriam, and I began the journey of self-reliant living more than three decades ago, which enabled me to stay home with my children. Fifteen years ago, I founded Joyful Homesteading to help others save money and face the future without fear. My goal is to give you practical, honest advice so you can save money and experience the joy of simple living. I hope you join me.

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