Composting toilets are invented to make the toilets work without water. This process is created to utilize human waste to make compost. Composting toilets are very helpful to reduce water usage and wastage. Also compost toilets collect human waste to make compost.
What is Vermicomposting Toilets?
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You might sometimes have heard the term vermicomposting while you read or learn about composting toilets. The main purpose is same, to produce compost from domestic waste. In case of vermicomposting toilet, worms are mixed with compost to make it richer as a fertilizer. Using worms as compost is a process known to the world since thousands of years. Recently however, people are now experimenting to mix worms with the compost to help the composting process.
How does Vermicomposting Toilet work?
The work phenomenon of vermicomposting toilet and compost toilet are same. The only difference is that in a vermicomposting toilet, the human waste gathered is mixed with worms. Adding worms to the waste results in a better compost containing different organisms like bacteria, fungi and protozoa that will help to decompose the waste to make compost.
Not all composting toilets give you freedom to add worms in the compost. You need to have split compost toilet. That has separate containers for liquid and solid waste. Worms can die if mixed with compost containing both types of waste. It is also advisable to add some food waste to your vermicompost so that the worms can feed on it.
Pros and Cons of Vermicomposting Toilet
Every type of compost toilet has got both advantages and disadvantages. Following is given a detailed comparison to show the positive and negative points of vermicompost toilets.
Pros of Vericomposting Toilet
- Eco Friendly and Environment Safe
- Zero Water Wastage
- Less Expensive
- Cleaning is Much Easier
- Suitable for Smaller Spaces
Eco Friendly and Environment Safe
People are now focusing more on the environment and things affecting it. That is why companies making new products keep this point in mind that their products should be environment friendly and harmless to the environment. Vermicomposting toilets are proved to be eco friendly and they propose no harm to our environment. They are also a solution if you want zero waste of toilet paper.
Zero Water Wastage
Vermicomposting toilets are waterless toilets. They are an excellent choice for conservation of water. They use 0% water. Therefore, they are best solution if you want to save water or if you have got no supply of water at your place for example, houses in faraway places or cabins in woods etc.
Less Expensive
These toilets are very inexpensive as their installation is very easy and requires no special equipment. The technology of composting toilet is very much advanced as compared to traditional toilet systems but they are still cheaper than the traditional toilets. Both the installation and the maintenance of vermicomposting toilets are much cheaper than the traditional ones. This is also a very basic reason of becoming more famous among consumers.
Cleaning is Much Easier
This is also a reason to become famous that cleaning of vermicomposting toilet is much easier than the traditional toilet systems. Vermicomposting toilets have no pipes or septic tanks that require regular cleaning and maintenance. They only have containers to gather liquid and solid waste. You clean those chambers and utilize the solid and liquid waste to make compost. That is why their cleaning and maintenance is much easier.
Suitable for Smaller Spaces
If you have a small flat or studio apartment then vermicomposting toilet are a great option for you. They do not require extra space as they have no special installation requirements like the installation of pipes etc.
Cons of Vermicomposting Toilet
- Bad Odor
- Good Alternative But Not A Mainstream Product
- Requires Well Ventilated Space
- Electricity Requirements
- Requires Special Permits
Bad Odor
Many companies today that are making vermicomposting toilets claim that their toilets do not emit bad odor. But this claim does not seem to be true most of the times. This happens especially when you do not care much about cleaning the waste from your toilet. Also if you are unable to separate the liquid and solid wastes, this also creates very bad smell. This is a major drawback of vemicomposting toilets due to which many buyers hesitate to buy this product.
Good Alternative But Not A Mainstream Product
Many people are now getting to understand the concept of vermicomposting toilet but still we do not accept it as a mainstream product for our houses. Vemicomposting toilet is always thought of as an alternative when you have no water supply or if you are travelling. But it is not considered yet as a main option.
Requires Well Ventilated Space
It is evident that vermicomposting toilets always come with bad odor. You cannot avoid the bad smell completely. Therefore, it is a necessity that you install the compost toilet in a well ventilated space. It cannot be used for large families and small apartments with less or no ventilation at all!!
Electricity Requirements
Vermicomposting toilets are now coming with advanced specifications like electrical connectivity and monitoring. Therefore, if you are in a far off place where there is no electricity your vermicomposting toilet will become inoperable. You may need to attach a battery with your composting toilet. If you choose a non electric vermicompost toilet then it will take longer time in the composting process.
Requires Special Permits
Some of the building codes and rules allow for these toilets whereas there are some urban communities that restrict the installation or use of such toilets. Therefore, you should first check with your local community guidelines and codes before installing one at your place to avoid any problematic circumstances.
Conclusion
Vermicomposting toilets are becoming a trend in everyday world due to its eco friendliness and water waste reduction properties. They are also a source of rich fertilizer for your kitchen garden. They are easy and inexpensive to install and maintain. However there are also some drawbacks attached with vermicomposting toilets like bad odor, electricity requirements etc. sometimes you also have to take special permissions to install vermicomposting toilets at your place. Therefore, you should first compare the pros and cons of vermicomposting toilets before opting the one for your place.
