Compost Toilets, as far as i feel and think, one of the most important implementations anyone can do in it's place to start changing the way things go in relation to energy usage (and wastage). How important it is, specially in this case, to use as wise and effeciently as possible the resources we have. if we're talking about toilets, water is our concern.

We're used to flush away 10 to 15lts of fresh water that we could drink, mixing it with our wastes and making it unavailable for any usage until it passes through a huge energy demanding system to treat that water, and even though that, it'll never be the same. When we think about the volume of drinkable and usable water in the world we definately have something to do about it.

Here it comes then, a big solution, not only we avoid contaminations issued mentioned, but we also adhere to the Inca's law of reciprocity with the land...return what she gave us in order to grow our food and with that simple act also improove soils fertilty. Let alone the fact of the gratification we feel when we are taking care of our wastes in a sustainable way. Compost Toilets are definately the way to go!!

I'm sharing with you this little loo i've built for this project. Made of recycled pallets , some spare wooden tables, a little of time, some nails ands screws, sandpaper (pallet wood always come splintered) and a lot of love, it comes to life! very easy to make, and what a HUGE difference for the place.

We're normally 4-6 persons, but on weekends and some other ocations this number can rise even up to 50 people!! imagine that much people flushing 10lts of water each time they go to bathroom (3-4 times daily) just do the math...that's a lot of water. In fact, we've put it on trial for an event held in the place, around that much use and we've only had to empty it 3 times since friday to monday.

As in every system, each element finds it's place naturally in order to link it with other activities being done. Looking carefully i found a spot in between some bamboo (that i still have to identify precisely since it's like guadua but a bit thinner) that was just behind the compost piles and material stock area, just perfect! The walls of it are made of burlap fabric, the roof with some bamboo and leaves (in the future to be upgraded to a rain collecting roof to wash the buckets when unfilled and also hands), and we've placed some decoration to make it feel much better. Believe me, it makes you wanna go and use it! :D

I guess there's not much more to be said about it...just encourage each of us to start implementing this simple appropiate technology in our places, even if you're living in a city. it may be difficult to compost if you don't have a little piece of land, maybe gathering between some neighbours that share the interest and define a comon composting place, or building one of the largest version of it that has two separate chambers to use it continously withouth having to empty buckets or anything like that...the important thing is that we develop a consciousness of how important is to take care of one of the most important resources we have, the one that gives us life. W A T E R.