What is a Composting Toilet?

A composting toilet looks similar to other types of RV toilets, except that it is mounted on a tank with one or more chambers. In addition, it does not use water or plumbing to flush waste into a black water tank. Instead, the tank serves as a place to compost human waste. It is an organic approach to waste handling in an RV that creates a fertilizer as well. 

Advantages of Composting Toilets

Let’s take a look at some of the advantages of composting toilets:

• They evaporate moisture – The collection tank in a composting toilet has dry peat moss or coco coir compost starter that looks like dirt inside it, and the material serves to dry out solid waste.
• There is no odor while composting – A composting toilet tank typically separates liquid and solid waste, which when combined, creates sewage and an unbearable smell. Separating liquid and solid wastes, however, allows for enzymes and bacteria to naturally decompose waste without the smell. 
• They can be vented – Just like a built-in RV toilet, a composting toilet has venting capabilities. Typically, a 12V electric fan attached to a vent hose helps to vent odors from the solid waste tank to the outside.
• They are perfect for boondocking and off-grid trips – A composting toilet doesn’t use fresh water for flushing, doesn’t require a black tank, and requires very little electricity, making it great for long-term boondocking and off-grid trips. In fact, the solid waste tank can take several weeks to fill and complete composting. After that, you can remove the tank and dump the contents into a compostable trash bag and throw it out. Or, you can dump the compost on your own property (or with permission from a landowner) in an area that is not used for growing food. The liquid tank can be diluted and emptied on the ground. It can also be emptied in a regular toilet or can be plumbed to empty into a black tank and emptied at an RV dump station as normal. 

Composting toilets offer many advantages for a variety of RV enthusiasts, but for others, these toilets may not be the best option. If you’re trying to figure out which type of RV toilet is best for you, consider your camping style, the length of trips you take, and determine what things about each toilet system may be a dealbreaker for you.

Have you used a composting toilet before? Would you recommend them or not? Let us know in the comments or contact us today!