The Benefits of a Composting Toilet
January 8, 2010 – 4:40 pm by MarinaHanes
Have you been considering switching over from a traditional toilet to a composting toilet? Although it will be a transition you will have to get used to, a composting toilet has several benefits for the environment, and you will also reap some rewards to.
Environmental Advantages
With traditional toilets, your waste is often sent to a wastewater treatment plant or septic tank. Wastewater treatment plants use chemicals such as chlorine to treat the water, and land needs to be used for dams and reservoirs, which are costly endeavors. Septic tanks have the potential of wearing down over time and cracking. If you don’t catch these leaks, your wastewater can contaminate your well water or nearby water sources.
In either scenario, there is potential for a large effluent to contaminate watercourse and oceans. Polluted water runoff can also affect the quality of soil and groundwater. So why is a composting toilet better than these sewage systems?
Household Benefits
Water conservation is important, and a composting toilet will help your household reduce its water intake by 20 to 50 percent. Unlike a regular toilet, the composting toilet doesn’t need to be flushed regularly. You might think there will be a constant odor in your home, but many composting toilets have a suction air flow system.
In addition to conserving water, you will also be reducing your household maintenance costs. Septic tanks can be costly to repair, and if you need a new one, you’re looking at $5,000 to $10,000. Sewage and water rates are also expensive, but you can save approximately $500 per year by switching to a composting toilet.
Last but not least is the fact that your waste will be recycled. You can use your waste compost to fertilize your trees and ornamental gardens. This will help enrich the soil instead of contaminating it.
So when are you going to switch to a composting toilet?
