March 19, 2007

Eco-Friendly Toilets: Waste Not, Want Not

18green.1901.jpg American flush away nearly 4.8 billion gallons of water every day, accounting for nearly 40% of our total indoor water consumption. Turns out toilets are "a big player" for homeowners interested in going green, according to author Florence Williams.

Writing in this Sunday's New York Times, Williams describes "the latest in eco-friendly elimination" -- from waterless urinals to superlow-flush toilets. She discusses her own experience with the Sun-Mar nonelectric composting toilet.

I didn’t want anything to do with it at first. The idea of human waste sitting in one spot — right next to you — for months at a time is difficult to stomach, but I had little choice. Our solar-powered summer cabin has limited running water and soils that are too shallow for a septic system.

The Sun-Mar promised no smells and easy installation. Vented by a pipe out the roof, it doesn’t smell at all. And the concept couldn’t be simpler: in goes human waste plus a few wood chips; out comes dry fertilizer. I wish I could tell you I have handled the harmless mulch that’s produced, but we haven’t even had to empty it yet.

According to Williams, a waterless urinal can save 40,000 gallons of water a year, filling three swimming pools. They're being installed in airports, stadiums and universities. And some, like the Steward, a "sleek, cartridge-free model" from Kohler are "so attractive" they're being installed in private homes.

Williams admits that no-flush toilets aren't for everyone. If you're thinking about a composting toilet, do your homework. Since the typical self-composting toilet is an investment -- Williams' Sun-Mar model retails for $1400 and up -- allow us to recommend picking up a copy of Carol Steinfeld and David Del Porto's handy dandy book on the subject: The Composting Toilet System Book: A Practical Guide to Choosing, Planning and Maintaining Composting Toilet Systems. You may also want to pick up a copy of Joseph C. Jenkins' tome The Humanure Handbook: A Guide to Composting Human Manure, now in its third edition. According to HortIdeas, the book ranks right up the with Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. Perfect bathroom reading, if we may say so ourselves.

B00073IQB0.01-A1ADVVRF10ZBSS._AA280_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg Ready to commit to the toilet itself? Shop around to save. Amazon is currently selling the Sun-Mar Non-Electric Composting Toilet for just under $1400, a pretty good price.