So I’m gonna geek out on you all for a few minutes and tell
you about something that I was very much looking forward to during my time in
Peru and it is being fulfilled! Its gonna sound really weird, but I was very
excited when I found out that I was going to be using a composting latrine for
the summer! Yes, that’s right, I was excited about the human waste disposal
system. If you have ever travelled to developing countries you know that the
bathroom facilities are usually not what we are used to in the United States,
and in the countryside they are even more minimal, consisting most often of
merely a hole in the ground that you squat over. These holes are usually
swarming with flies and reek of human waste. I don’t ever recommend looking
down into the hole, for what you will find will surely turn your stomach.
A traditional latrine.
Quaint, but not very sanitary
I was first introduced to the concept of composting latrines
in Paraguay, where a few of my Peace Corps friends had constructed their own
personal composting latrines as both an alternative to the unsanitary options
as well as a way to begin to implement alternative sanitation projects in their
community. Of all the varieties of improved latrine projects that exist, this
is the most sanitary as well as environmentally sustainable, even comparable to
the toilets in the United States. How so? Well you don’t use any water and the
waste will eventually be used as a fertilizer, completing the natural cycle. Also,
proper maintenance of the composting latrine results in no smells and no bugs!
A composting latrine is built elevated, with the first level
of the structure containing openable and/or removable compartments where the
waste is first deposited and later removed. Human waste needs about a year to
decompose before it can be used as fertilizer, so the compartments are divided
into two so that one side is decomposing while the other is in use.
Elevated composting latrine with two divided compartments
So how does it work? After you do your business (both solid
and liquid), throw a cup of sawdust, (well, we are using sawdust here, but you
can also use ash…basically anything that will soak up liquids and maintain a
dry atmosphere. All forms of human waste are acceptable to put in the
composting toilet as well as toilet paper. Feminine Hygiene product won’t work
here though (BUT, diva cup friendly!) Then, make sure the lid is closed. If the
latrine starts to smell or have a lot of flies, just throw on more sawdust to
maintain a dry environment!
A clean dry environment!
My favorite thing about our composting latrine is the cloth
door made of Shipibo textiles. Its beautiful and blue!
SO...? How did I do talking about shit in a politically correct
way??
