Once the water has cooled dewater the coir and use. The brush has strong and durable bristles which are made from Coconut Coir. Our favorite is the Recycled Coconut Coir (a waste product from the food industry) and the ground corn cob. The book is an absolute goldmine of useful information about everything imaginable to do with composting toilets. Over the last few years, Sun-Mar has discovered that peat moss on its own does not make a good bulking material. The best cover material for composting toilets needs to be: If you want to skip the (potentially very gross) trial and error phase of finding the best composting material for your composting toilet, then read on for what we think are the best (and worst) options. Depending on the type of toilet you’ve created/ purchased, there should be a “top” or the seat, the absorbent, which is usually made up of coco coir (made of the outer layer of a coconut), a bucket, and … £17.99 £ 17. Scientists are experimenting with treatment options, and at least one coir manufacturing company claims to be treating its effluent water.” Source: http://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Coir.html#ixzz5nFQhc8EP. Answer, not a chance so, dilution is the solution. Be warned – slushy toilet waste is an absolute nightmare to clean up! What kind of Peat Moss? Following the directions that come with your toilet, mix the compost with a bit of distilled water until it is damp, but not wet. Quote, “The retting process used in coir fiber production generates significant water pollution. Coco coir is popular because it is sustainable, inexpensive, normally pH … Thanks for taking the time to be an active part of our little world. One of them is enough to “preload” your toilet. Great if you want to make some compost tea! 1. posted 9 years ago. Peat moss, perlite, and coconut hair are my preferred compost toilet bedding because they are 100% natural. “Proposition 65 (formally titled The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986) is a California law passed by direct voter initiative in 1986 by a 63%–37% vote. Is toilet safe? Most composting toilet systems rely on mesophilic composting. Required fields are marked *. I feel like we should add you to the authors list after all that. FREE Shipping on orders over $25.00. The most economical and eco-friendly thing to do is use stuff you already own. The process requires no pee combined with solids and that can prove quite difficult for one of the genders I would guess. How to Use a Composting Toilet Prepping. We also highly recommend Nature’s Footprint Coconut Coir. ” Do you, in the least, understand the methods, temperatures to be maintained to kill the bad bacteria and save the good bacteria, the time required to fully decompose and test for full decomposition before the composted waste can be used as a food fertilizer? The best type of wood chips to use is semi-composted wood chips. It was real and happens every time it floods in cities and personal septic ranks throughout or land. Coir consists of the coarse fibers extracted from the husk on the outer shell of a coconut.” I don’t think there is anything added but they may be required to put that label on because of the country of origin or about a million other reasons. I ass-u-me the real reason here for the composting toilets is more of a personal gain mentality and lack of service expense motivation. This also improves the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and reduces potential odor. I think it was under £5 for a block the size of a house brick. The rub for me is the perception that these alternative methods of dealing with a vey nasty by-product of humans is “green”, “safe” just rubs me the wrong way. Does the waste continue to compost in the bag? It’s made from the decomposed remains of living organisms found in bogs. In many composting toilet designs, a carbon additive such as sawdust, coconut coir, or peat moss is added after each use. Its role in planting mix is to hold moisture. Made from Coconut Husk - a byproduct / waste of the coconut processing industry, this compressed coir will expand up to three times its size when rehydrated with water.It makes approximately 9 litres of coir.If used with the Air Head toilet one and a half bricks will last two people one month if this is their full time toilet. Now, would any of us actually drink the water being released? Many of the resources we suggest using are waste products from an already established industry. First off, it’s a readily renewable resource, whereas peat moss takes millions of years to form. My personal favorite composting toilet cover material is coco coir. Details. When picking a good brown material for a composting toilet, moisture and odor control become extra important factors. But when you combine it with one of the other options we’ve recommended, you’ll have zero pest problems. Coir is known for its water retention properties, but it also allows for proper drainage and prevents water logging of plant roots, reducing the chance for root rot. You might be able to find these going free from a local mill or carpenter. The ideal ratio would be around 40% peat to 60% bulking material. I’ll try to help out here; Which will be when we empty the container, hopefully not for a few weeks yet. Composting Toilet … Coconut Coir is a natural by-product of the coconut growing industry. It’s made from coconut husks that might otherwise go to waste. Carbon provides energy to the microorganisms that break down the organic matter. This natural material acts as a natural sponge, … Or you can use a good chipper shredder to reduce their size. Coconut Coir. Only 16 left in stock - order soon. Because of its superior water holding capacity, excellent air space and drainage, coir is a useful soil amendment for potted plants, containers and gardens. OMRI organic. FREE Delivery. However, the biggest plus for me is the ease … This peat and hemp mix from Sun-Mar is the best one we’ve found. empty then return to work within the 3 mile range where dumping is NOT allowed. When I went on Amazon I saw terrible reviews talking abut little black bugs…Since I started using them around the same time it IS possible that it wasn’t the coco coir. They’re all high quality, fertilizer free products. It grows quickly, doesn’t require any added fertilizers or pesticides, and uses very little water. You no longer pay to empty your vessels black tanks when now you are allowed to simply dump it in the trash can to be hauled away to a landfill to decompose in a plastic bag (which will never occur in a closed plastic bag) or travel legally travel 3 miles out (which is nothing because 3 miles out is nothing) or more and dump the very non-decomposed Coco Coir and excrement overboard, either way, neither of these methods are delivering to the environment a complete non-toxic product for her to consume. Preparing the Compost Toilet for Use Bring the base of the compost toilet out onto the floor of your rig (if room) or a table either outside or inside your rig. Sourced from coconuts grown on trees, it’s possible to re-plant and continually harvest this resource. Compost Material. Both CANNA and Fox Farm are top coconut coir providers. The Poopoo Pucks coconut coir come as compressed light-weight disks and expand up to 7 times when moistened. Prepping the toilet is very easy, sanitary and relatively quick. This is text directly from the company website: “Nature’s coconut coir is a 100-percent natural by-product of harvesting coconut. Coconut coir … Both CANNA and FoxFarm tightly monitor the production of the coconut coir … Or try Chip Drop, a website that matches arborists with people who want free wood chips. Either way, that works for me, the composting toilets are a real cheap way of avoiding the cost of maintaining sewage equipment and the disposal & emptying of the tanks at a certified receiver of raw sewage from these vessels. For use in composting toilets, the absorbent nature of peat moss is most beneficial. You are sort of correct. You’ll want 2 liters of water, a bucket, gardening gloves and a shovel. It is pH neutral and has no nutrients. Transitioning to a composting toilet is definitely an adventure and one that calls for experimentation. Peat is mined out of peat bogs, which is a disruption of an ecosystem. Posts: 69. Hydroponic growers, in particular, appreciate that it holds air better than Rockwool, absorbs water without ruining the fibers, and assists with pest control. Overall, you should be fine with whatever bulking material you choose. Also feel confident that the treating byproduct / process as listed will b found somewhere in the listed chemicals in prop 65 white paper. My point is, you will know when the time is required to change, you WILL know. sanitary? If it’s too fine, then it can get very messy, especially if you spill some. Carbon-rich materials you can use in your garden compost include dry leaves, pine needles, sawdust, paper, cardboard, twigs, straw, and dryer lint. This will last us about 6-8 changes of our toilet. We take a look at the six best cover materials composting toilets. This is the coir we use and have purchased from local hydroponic stores as well but find that Amazon is usually the best pricing and we prefer the dehydrated bricks for storage. However, we don’t recommend using cedarwood shavings. Very fine sawdust is also not a great option. If you’re not into doing it yourself and prefer something you know will work out of the box, then you can buy a ready-made mixture that has been specially formulated for use as a cover material for a composting toilet. If the powder gets wet, it’s not as effective, so it works best in a separating toilet. This hemp bedding from American Hemp is grown in the USA and is less dusty than some of the other options. We paid $19 for our last bag of COIR and it should last around 5 months. Bulking material helps dry out the contents of the solid waste reservoir, creates airflow, facilitates decomposition, and nutralizes odors. What’s next. This 10 – 15 minuet process is best done outside unless the weather is icky. Straw isn’t the most absorbent material on our list. Break off enough coconut coir or sphagnum peat moss (about a 1 gallon buckets worth) and place it in your bucket. 3. Diatomaceous earth also has a lot of uses outside pest control. Veronica has a passion for all things eco-friendly. Perhaps it would work for your composting toilet too. I think that’s enough about toilets … This practice creates air pockets in the human waste to promote aerobic decomposition. Chopping straw can be difficult and gives off a lot of dust. Keep reading to discover the very best composting toilets available to buy today. Yes. Doing this will result in too much sphagnum peat moss or coconut coir in the unit and will limit your time of usage before emptying. With that being said, the current human east processing (sewage) plants separate, collect, compress moisture from the solids, load and haul to facilities to incinerate the mass of solids, the remaining fluids are chemically enhanced to remove nitrates and toxins then dumped into our water streams to eventual be transferred to our ocean waters. Peat moss packagers have been pulverizing it for gardening applications for the past few years, making it very fine, and coarse peat moss is very hard to find. Viagrow vermiculite can be mixed with Peat moss, mushroom compost, cactus soil, organic soil, bark, perlite, compost, coconut coir, worm casting, potting soil and just about any soil or soilless media. But, we were far from everything and I just dealt with it. I explain more about why diatomaceous earth is so useful later in the article. When your #2 is introduced to the coco-coir, the composting process slowly begins. First off, it’s important to know that we’re using coconut coir as the “composting medium” as opposed to peat moss. Which do we prefer? Some people suggested we tried wetting the sawdust slightly to give it a bit of weight, which could work for a composting toilet, but our cat didn’t like this. Coir pith or coco peat is a by-product obtained during the extraction of coir fiber from the coconut husk and is very light, highly compressible and highly hygroscopic, meaning it will readily take up and retain moisture making it perfect in horticultural applications. The human excreta is usually mixed with sawdust, coconut coir or peat moss to facilitate aerobic processing, and odor mitigation. Or just fitting out your tiny home or RV? You can either sprinkle a little over the toilet after each use or mix it straight in with your other cover materials. Coco Coir (Composting Substrate) quantity Any larger and it’ll become less efficient at preventing smells. So, here are three other ways you can source suitable composting materials for your toilet: Source them yourself from local farms or mills. Nature's coconut coir is a 100-percent natural by-product of harvesting coconut. Includes 10 bricks of 250 grams. Straw is an agricultural by-product of cereal plants such as barley and wheat. Our Pick For The Best Covering Material For Composting Toilets, Best Cover Materials For Composting Toilets, What To Avoid as a Composting Toilet Cover Material, A Must-Read For Anyone With A Composting Toilet. Cedar is naturally rot-resistant, and the shavings will take a long time to break down. We’ve found that the best cover material for composting toilets tends to be a mix of two different things because you get the benefits of both. You are sort of correct. If you want something specially formulated for composting toilets, then this peat and hemp mix from Sun-Mar is a good option. Possible bedding layers include woodchip, coconut fibre (coir) or compost (Figure 2). The smaller bricks are a lot more convenient. The only way to truly know is to contact the company directly for more info. Ideally, it should be chopped into pieces no longer than 3-4 inches. Pure biologically, non-perishable, very long storable, un-fertilized and free from stones, etc. Hydrate the coco coir or sphagnum peat moss (typi… Before using your new Perfect Privy toilet, place 1-1/ 2 to 2 gallons of pre-moistened COIR (Coconut Fiber) or peat moss into the base of the head. Some of these are great for composting toilets, and some are not. Coir, a fibrous material from the husk of a coconut, is a viable bedding for worms in vermiculture, or worm composting. Coconut coir is frequently used in composting toilets as well. I thought that would be the answer since I could use 3 or 4 and get the right amount. Mixing in either the peat moss or coco fiber helps break apart the feces to allow the aerobic bacteria get its oxygen so it can break down the waste quickly and without odor. However, there are some environmental concerns. This is done by soaking the husks in water to loosen and soften them. Coconut coir, also known as coco coir, is popular with a wide range of consumers: container gardeners, hydroponic growers, commercial nurseries, and even homeowners trying their hand at indoor gardening. Longer retention time in the composting … Jody (Prop 65). Hummmm, IDK. For composting with the Nature’s Head, you have two inexpensive options. A downside to both these methods is that they are DIY options. The dry waste container is best used with a compostable bag to keep it clean to avoid needing to wash the container thoroughly. 2. If anyone has experienced a failure of a vessels sewage processing equipment then having to correct the problem then you know to which I refer. Please keep in mine your climate conditions. * If you click a link on this page and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring sedimentary rock. Jody: Prop 65: I’m betting all manufacturers which ship to Cali apply the the Prop 65 warning label to cover themselves legally. Read All Customer Reviews on Amazon. In addition, the composting chambers contain bacteria and fungi, which breakdown the waste under aerobic environment. Coconut coir bricks are not found as easily in stores so we have been ordering it online. Before the modern and approved methods of processing human waste, sailors simply dumped it overboard and that continues to this day as long as we are 3 miles or more offshore from the nearest land mass as per US maritime law is concerned, as for other country maritime laws for raw sewage dumping, well IDK. While it’s a good absorbent, it lacks odor control unless you use a lot of it, and it’s very dusty. A 12v fan ventilates the toilet to prevent smells and also acts to dry the solid waste, which reduces its volume significantly.