Dry toilets are an ecological and economical alternative to conventional toilets because they do not require water to operate. Dry toilets can be used to ensure access to safe and resilient sanitation facilities around the world – especially in water-stressed areas – and in places requiring humanitarian assistance. Dry toilets provide a solution for managing fecal sludge and water pollution. Human waste from dry toilets can also be turned into natural fertilizer and support local agriculture.
Why is this important?
Only two in five people in the world have access to safely managed sanitation services. 4 billion people suffer from water shortages for one month or more per year, a significant and worrying indicator that there is not enough water to meet human needs.
In many countries, lack of management and care of feces is a major health problem. Currently, nearly two billion people use drinking water sources contaminated with feces, putting them at risk of contracting cholera, dysentery, typhus and polio. The World Health Organization estimates that contaminated drinking water causes more than 500,000 deaths from diarrhea every year.
Dry toilets do not require water to function. Therefore, drinking water sources are neither used nor polluted. Dry toilets are a cheap, easy-to-use and quick-to-implement solution that effectively addresses water scarcity and pollution. Dry toilets are essential to address the lack of water and sanitation infrastructure in water-stressed areas. Dry toilets improve user hygiene and better manage biological waste.
Toilet waste can be composted and used as organic fertilizer instead of chemicals, the use of which contributes to soil depletion worldwide. Therefore, dry toilets are also a sustainable way to combat chemical pollution and soil nutrient depletion worldwide.
Important facts
2 billion people use drinking water sources contaminated with feces.
About 1.7 billion people live without basic sanitation and about 500 million of them practice open defecation.
15,000 Dry Toilets can save up to 6 to 9 liters of flushing, or 45 liters per day and about 15,000 liters of drinking water per person per year.
Flush Toilet is the second element that consumes the most water in French homes.
What's the solution?
Dry toilets do not use water. Dirt will fall into the container. Carbon-rich dry organic matter such as sawdust, wood shavings, fine straw or dry grass should be added. This material is then used as compost. The dirt will eventually disappear naturally.
The container can be a simple bucket with a capacity of around 20 liters, usually placed in a wooden box. The bucket then needs to be emptied every 2 or 3 days. There are also dry toilets with large reservoirs that can be used for several weeks to several months, or even a year.
There are two types of dry toilets. A toilet without a divider collects feces and urine in the same container. In a dividing toilet, feces fall into a container and urine is excreted separately. There are many models of dry toilets, with different variations, to suit all circumstances, locations and budgets. These models range from simple do-it-yourself wooden boxes for a few dozen euros to more sophisticated models, purchased ready-made, for thousands of euros.
Mastering composting techniques is one of the key success factors (or obstacles) for a dry toilet project. The composting stage takes place either directly in a dry toilet container or outdoors (usually in the garden). Composting is accompanied by heat production, especially during the fermentation stage. It is very important to protect the compost from access (dogs, cats, children) due to the risk of spreading pathogenic organisms. The composting process takes time (2 years).
Composting is a natural process of decomposing organic matter which is converted into very fertile soil (compost, humus). The soil produced from composting is a resource for plants. Continuous composting dry toilets attempt to recreate the conditions necessary for an efficient composting process. Human waste is rich in nitrogen (urine) and organic matter (feces). The addition of dry materials (which contain a lot of carbon) allows moisture to be absorbed and the carbon/nitrogen ratio to be balanced, thus promoting the decomposition of the materials through composting. Microorganisms convert this waste into fertilizer.
Main action
1. Assess the situation, needs & system
Evaluate available space and distance to water sources (potential contamination). The answers to these questions can help analyze the situation. What type of dry toilet should be installed depending on the number of people? How big should the container be (requirement, capacity)? Can compost be used on site, or does it need to be thrown away? What kind of dry material should be used, sawdust, soil, dry leaves? What is the main priority for installing such a toilet? What are the risks, costs, benefits, and things to pay attention to?
2. Install a dry toilet system & locate the compost
Install the toilet model that is most suitable for the user from an economic and cultural perspective as well as the local conditions of the country concerned. Display operating instructions clearly to users. Choose your composting location wisely, at a safe distance from public facilities or water sources. Protect from unwanted visitors.
3. Train staff
Train the people who will be responsible for operating and maintaining the system, both toilets and composting bins. Creating a skilled workforce.
4. Cleaning & maintenance
Dry toilets should be well maintained and washed carefully by trained professionals, as there is a high chance of disease transmission. Likewise, compost must be managed well. Observe hygiene rules for handling at all times.
5. Increase user awareness
Providing information and being transparent to users about the importance and function of the toilet as well as how the toilet can overcome or respond to various problems faced, both hygienic (disease), usability (organic fertilizer without chemicals), economic (higher sanitation prices). cheap), as well as the environment (pollution and water shortages).
6. Collaborate with local farmers
Look for local farmers who can use the compost produced from toilet waste. Tell them about its potential as a (free) organic fertilizer instead of chemicals.
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