Off-grid sanitation
Any toilet system will work for microhousing connected to traditional sewer/water hookups. When these are not available (such as in a tiny house/RV on wheels), there are three main toilet options: composting, incinerating, and the bucket. The chart below highlights notable sanitation options for micro living, which includes pricing and the pros and cons of twelve different toilet options.
Sanitation Chart
Composting Toilets
Within the category of composting toilets, there are three different types: urine diverting, self-contained, and centralized. Composting toilets use waterless toilets with a composting tank to break down human waste into a fertilizer.
Urine Diverting Composting Toilets
Urine diverting dry toilets separates the liquid and solid waste at the source. Separating the solids and liquids drastically reduces odors created by the waste. The Separett Villa 9000 (extensively tested at the Micro Showcase), Nature’s Head composting toilet, and the C-Head composting toilet are examples of urine diverting toilets. See sanitation chart for further info and comparison.
 Separett Villa |
 Nature’s Head Composting Toilet |
 C-Head Portable Composting Toilet |
Self-Contained Composting Toilets
Self-contained composting toilets attach the composter directly to the toilet seat and the composting process takes place in the bathroom. Because the toilet and the composting system are self-contained, the toilets are easier to install. The composting tank is smaller which means they will need to be emptied more often than centralized composting toilets. Sun-Mar Excel and Biolet BTS 33 Waterless toilets are examples of self-contained composting toilets. See sanitation chart for further info and comparison.
 Sun-Mar Excel NE (Non-electric) |
 Biolet BTS 33 |
Centralized Composting Toilets
Centralized composting toilets allow the composting process to be done outside of the bathroom. A dry toilet is located in the bathroom with a composting tank located a level directly below the toilet. These toilets are easier to maintain because the tanks are generally larger and have to be emptied less often than other composting toilet options. Sun-Mar Centrex 2000 A/F non-electric and electric, and Envirolet waterless remote composting toilet are examples of centralized composting toilets. See sanitation chart for further info and comparison.
 Sun-Mar Centrex 2000 AF (Air Flow) |
 Sun-Mar Centrex 2000 AF NE (Air Flow Non Electric) |
 Envirolet Waterless Remote Composting Toilet |
Incinerating Toilet
Incinerating toilets use electric heat to reduce human waste into a small amount of clean ash. These toilets are considered more sterile than traditional commodes. The Incinolet is an example of an incinerating toilet (extensively tested at Micro Showcase). See sanitation chart for further info and comparison.
Incinolet Electric Incinerating Toilet
Buckets
A simple bucket can be used as a toilet. After each use, sawdust is added on top of the waste to reduce the odor. If appropriately managed, waste can be composted or disposed of. The Luggable Loo and the Lovable Loo are examples of buckets that have been transformed into toilets. The Laveo by Dry Flush is more complex than a simple bucket, but disposes of waste in a similar way. See sanitation chart for further info and comparison.
 Luggable Loo |
 Lovable Loo |
 Laveo Dry Flush |
For foundation built microhousing, please consult local building codes on what options are permitted. If you have experience with any of these toilet options and have suggestions to add to the sanitation chart, please let us know in the comments.
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An additional product we were just made aware of:
I thought you might like to inform your attendees about The Sanitizer™ Evaporative Toilet. It’s a big improvement over the current Tiny House sanitation systems – composting, incinerating or honey bucket systems.
The Sanitizer™ is an appliance that dries and sanitizes solids, evaporates liquids, using air flow and short bursts of heat. The treated matter is removed in a bag. The unit weighs 43 pounds, needs only to be vented, plugged in and is ready to use. It is mobile, works off of 110 volt wall plugs, generators and solar. No special type of toilet paper is needed, there is no composting, no fire, and there are no chemicals or water. The user will simply replace the disposal bag every few days.
Liquid and solid human waste is deposited into the same disposal bag that sits in a wire bag holder deep beneath the toilet seat. The constant air flow instantly begins drying the deposited matter while also drawing air in from under the toilet seat, down and out the vent.
When the bag is full it is removed by lifting the top of the toilet unit which is hinged, removing the disposal bag and replacing it with a new bag, and closing the top. The disposal bag goes into the trash, sanitized and dried thereby not harming the environment.
Features:
• Very small and light weight: 25″ x 17″ x 21″ and 43 lbs.
• Strong air flow: 50 cubic feet per minute,72,000 cubic feet per 24 hour
period
• Uses very little energy: one kilowatt per day
• No odor due to killing the bacteria and constant venting
• Easy installation: just connect the vent pipe and plug in the unit
• Numerous safety features (see below)
• Lab tested to meet or exceed health safety standards
• A wire bag holder sits in the heating element
• The heating element cycles and is controlled with a timer periodically
heating the disposal bag contents.Safety features include:
• A Ground Force Inhibitor (GFI) prevents electricity arcing
• The timer holds the temperature when the heater is on and lower than what
is required to burn paper
• Waste matter is sanitized: the pathogens are rendered harmless or killed,
as confirmed by lab tests
• A safety latch to hold the toilet seat closed when not in use.I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Cordially,
Ted Knight
Vice President
Clean Up America, Inc. -
James D.
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Envirolet’s FlushSmart VF, SunMar’s Central Flush, and Clivus Multrum are three flushable composting toilet systems, which can also keep the composting bin/container a distance away from the actual toilet…
The Envirolet system, for example, can place the bin either up to 70 feet away or up to 12 feet above the toilet… and multiple bins can be linked together for additional capacity…
The Clivus Multrum system is even in use in such public places as the Bronx Zoo…
However, these are the most expensive Composting Toilet options…
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GSAP’s Microflush Toilet (www.globalsustainableaid.org) is another flushable composting toilet that is off-grid, sustainable, environmentally friendly, low cost, odor- and fly- free, that reuses the small amount (1 cup) of greywater from the previous user’s hand wash to isolate waste from the restroom space and flush the toilet.
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