The process of taking a dump and disposing of human wastes has evolved over time.
From people relieving themselves on the street to using outhouses, from people using leaves to wipe themselves after a call of nature to using toilet paper, the journey has been quite long.
Although different waste disposal mechanisms have been developed over time, some parts of the world especially developing countries still use latrines to dispose of human wastes.
The medieval castles of England saw the building of garderobes, toilets constructed with vertical shafts and stone seats for the Royals to attend to nature’s call.
In 1596, Sir John Harrington invented the flushing lavatory that held a storage tank which eventually replaced the garderobes.
By the 20th century, the bathroom technology had become mainstream with most households in developed countries using conventional toilets for waste disposal and using toilet paper rolls, earlier considered luxuries, not necessities.
Today, there are different types of waste disposal mechanisms used in maintaining sanitation.
In this post, we look at the alternative toilets available for use by households.
1. Water Closets
This type of toilet is the most common around the world and is popular among users be it in the homes, hotels, schools, you name it. It is built with storage tanks and flushable valves placed above the toilet bowls for water storage and for flushing down wastes each time a person takes a dump.
The toilet is easy to clean since water is readily available in the cisterns and all you need is a disinfectant and a WC brush.
The toilet is not prone to foul smell especially when it is well maintained and there is sufficient water available.
The downside of this toilet is that it consumes copious amounts of water during waste disposal.
Most environmentally-friendly users are irked up when several gallons of water wash down the drain per flush, yet the precious commodity is a scarce resource in most households in developing countries despite being a necessity.
In fact, most users who wish to reduce their ecological footprints are looking for alternative waste disposal mechanisms that will cut down on the amount of water used per flush each time a toilet is used.
Some people are seeking ways of making their bathrooms more eco-friendly just to reduce the many gallons of water that waste disposal and sanitation consume in modern households.
From using water-saving facets, to proper maintenance to prevent unnecessary leaks, using water-saving shower heads, the list is endless.
2. Low Flow Toilets
The other alternative toilets are the low flow toilets which use fewer gallons of water.
These toilets are suitable for use where households make use of flushable toilets but seek to conserve more water.
They are economical in their water consumption and minimize the number of gallons utilized with every flush.
The upside of these toilets other than using the least amounts of water possible is that the grey water can be collected and treated for reuse in the households.
The treated grey water can be used for cleaning, bathing or watering gardens.
3. The Waterless Toilets
The non-flush toilet is another alternative toilet available for households especially in areas where water is hard to come by.
The waterless toilets make it possible to uphold proper sanitary practices and waste disposal even in rural areas where flushable and low flow toilets are a pipe dream due to the scarcity of water.
There are several waterless toilet technologies that help in achieving this. Some of the different waterless toilet types available include the following.
· Composting Toilet
This type of toilet collects human wastes before naturally decomposing it into compost that is rich in nutrients suitable for enriching soils and growing crops as manure.
The toilet can either be an active composting toilet or the home-made design.
The home-made composting toilet is a DIY alternative that can be installed in any tiny space in the home. It mainly comprises of sawdust put it a huge bucket with a comfortable toilet seat placed on top.
It is inexpensive most households find it affordable. Each time you use the toilet you add sawdust into the bucket and once it fills up, it is emptied into the compost container for decomposition.
The active composting toilet, on the other hand, does not require the user’s active input since it is designed to work perfectly on its own.
With a composting toilet located in a remote location or directly beneath the toilet, the human waste collects in the vat where it is broken down into compost.
Despite requiring vast amounts of space for the composting container, this waterless toilet is common among rural households since it does not require complex septic hookups and solar-powered models are also available.
· Incinerating Toilet
This waterless toilet alternative works by burning human waste to form sterile ash before dumping it into a trash container.
The toilet is mostly odor-free despite being waterless but can be quite expensive for most households due to the fuels required for the combustion process such as natural gas, diesel, and propane.
· Dry Flush toilet
This affordable waterless toilet resembles a standard toilet.
The difference is notable in its operation where the toilet runs on a chargeable motor underneath the toilet seat which turns each time the toilet is flushed with the help of a silver liner located inside the bowl.
The liner firmly squashes the waste then holds in the receptacle while a new liner unravels to cover the bowl ready for the next user.
Once all the liners are used up the old cartridge is dropped into the trash after which a new one is replaced.
The above waterless toilets are not the only available alternatives. There are numerous water-saving options available in the market such as the hydrogen-producing model, oil flush toilets, and the humanure toilet. It is best to choose one that matches your needs.
4. The Nano Membrane Toilets
Another alternative toilet is Bill Gate’s Nanotechnology toilet which through the pervaporation process dehydrates human waste into dry solid refuse free of parasites or disease-causing micro-organisms.
The toilet works by sanitizing and condensing water vapor from the human waste into water safe for household use while the dry solid waste makes good fertilizer and fuel.
Wrapping Up
Technology is changing how human wastes can be disposed of and with the goal of improving toilets in the developing world, we are yet to see the emergence of more alternative toilets.
It is important that billions of people around the world have access to adequate sanitation and hygienic toilets for that to significantly boost the quality of human life.
