3 ms·

Smell problems aside, how do you transport the compost away from the toilet? Expecting people to shovel their shit is almost reasonable in a setting where you

Smell problems aside, how do you transport the compost away from the toilet? Expecting people to shovel their shit is almost reasonable in a setting where you live in a house with a yard and could actually use the compost, but what about an apartment building, or a high rise office building? I really like the idea of using grey water to flush toilets, which at least takes 1 level of water cleaning out of the equation. I used one of those toilets that fills the tank after you flush, through a tap that drains into the tank. You washed your hands while the tank filled and eventually flushed. It was pretty neat.

flukus 7y ago
> Smell problems aside, how do you transport the compost away from the toilet? The Night Soilman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_soil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_soil) or dunny man in Australia would come and collect it once a week. It really wasn't that long ago in some parts, Brisbane Australia had them until the 70's and it's still within living memory of much of the developed world. In many older cities you'll still see little lane ways between rows of houses that were used to give the carts access to the outhouse, most have been converted to footpaths/bikepaths these days. I wouldn't want to go back because the smell in the summer heat was legendary, but flushing toilets are incredibly recent.
- Mediterraneo10 7y ago
  In centuries past, night soil was used as fertilizer and there was a business case for collecting it. Today, human waste is avoided as fertilizer for a number of reasons (hormones and other medication residues, pathogens), and so there is no more business case for collecting it. One would have to advocate solid waste collection as a new public utility, and that might be an uphill battle.

3 ms·

Smell problems aside, how do you transport the compost away from the toilet? Expecting people to shovel their shit is almost reasonable in a setting where you

by RandallBrown 7y ago

flukus 7y ago
> Smell problems aside, how do you transport the compost away from the toilet? The Night Soilman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_soil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_soil) or dunny man in Australia would come and collect it once a week. It really wasn't that long ago in some parts, Brisbane Australia had them until the 70's and it's still within living memory of much of the developed world. In many older cities you'll still see little lane ways between rows of houses that were used to give the carts access to the outhouse, most have been converted to footpaths/bikepaths these days. I wouldn't want to go back because the smell in the summer heat was legendary, but flushing toilets are incredibly recent.
- Mediterraneo10 7y ago
  In centuries past, night soil was used as fertilizer and there was a business case for collecting it. Today, human waste is avoided as fertilizer for a number of reasons (hormones and other medication residues, pathogens), and so there is no more business case for collecting it. One would have to advocate solid waste collection as a new public utility, and that might be an uphill battle.