Compost Toilets

Another blog post about humanure composting, from central portugal:

http://permaculturinginportugal.net/blog/compost-toilet-bin-and-log-store/

We’re following Joe Jenkins‘ method for our composting toilets, so this is how we built our compost pile, using bracken as our organic sponge. Bracken harvested at this time of year has the additional advantage of holding together very well when it’s shaped into a ‘nest’ to hold the material to be composted in the centre. As well as mixing in green stuff with the humanure and sawdust, we also add kitchen scraps and the wood ash from the stove.

The toilet itself is constructed from a WWI-vintage wooden army chest (then the property of one Company Sergeant Major Grist of the Royal Corps of Signals) which has seen over 30 years’ service with me as a linen chest, toy box and dressing-up box before ending up as the thunderbox. A circular hole is cut in the lid of the chest which exactly fits the diameter of the 20-litre plastic containers that fit inside.