Composting Toilets - Is One Right For Your Family?

With living expenses on the rise and family incomescomposting chamber, also known as the drum, sits
falling, more people than ever are now looking forbeneath the toilet seat, and this drum must be large
ways to cut costs at home. Pair this frugality withenough to accommodate the waste that the toilet
the increased popularity of going green, and it's easywill process. Units with elevated seats usually also
to see why composting toilets are becoming a widelyfeature a small footstool attached to the front of
accepted alternative to the standard flush toilet. Notthe toilet, allowing the person to easily step up. If
only are they environmentally friendly, but they canyou have children or elderly people living in your
also save most families a significant amount ofhome, you must consider whether they would be
money on annual water and sewer or septic costs.able to easily reach the seat. If it might be a problem,
However, before you rush out to replace your flushthen you should be sure to select a unit that has a
toilet with a new composting model, there are somestandard height seat as opposed to an elevated one.
considerations you should take into account to decideFor homes with very young children, there are some
whether a composting toilet is right for your family.other considerations as well. Anyone who has kids
First and foremost, the type of composting toiletknows that lots of children have a fascination with
system you'll need should be based on the number offlushing strange items down the toilet. With a
people living in your household. You must also asktraditional toilet, this usually results in a clogged pipe
yourself if you want to replace every toilet in yourwhich can be remedied with a plunger. In the case of
house with a composting system, or only one ora composting toilet, it's not so simple. Because the
two. This will also have an impact on the model youwaste isn't flushed away, whatever the child puts
select. The reason for this is because compostinginto the toilet is going to simply remain in the
toilets are sold based on capacity-that is, how muchcomposting drum, and may have to be manually
waste they are designed to hold and process. Thisremoved. Therefore, if you have kids in your home,
capacity is typically stated in the number of peopleyou'll want to be sure to impress upon them the
using the toilet. For example, a system designed toimportance of not putting any foreign objects into
be used by a family of four on an ongoing orthe toilet.
residential basis will be significantly larger and moreBuying a composting toilet is a big investment and it's
expensive than a unit for use by one or two peoplenot something that you should rush into. As you can
on an occasional or weekend basis.see, there are a lot of questions to ask yourself and
Your next important consideration should be thethe answers will factor into your purchasing decision.
people that make up your family. Do you have youngOnce you've considered some of these important
children or teenagers living at home? Are thereaspects of composting toilet ownership, you'll be in a
elderly people with some physical restrictions? Somebetter position to determine whether one might be
composting toilets are built a bit taller than aright for your family.
traditional toilet. The reason for this is because the