Latrines have been the most common toilet systems for decades. People in remote areas have found it convenient to use outhouses to relieve themselves and dispose of human wastes.

But the latrines have their downside, from insects and pests to foul smells, the toilets are not suitable especially in residential areas.

Using the outhouses in winter is also uncomfortable for most people. However, with the use of technology, developers are working on emerging trends that are constantly changing sanitation in households.

One such expertise is the waterless toilet technology that allows homeowners to install waterless systems without building septic tanks.

It is also an alternative to outhouses since the waterless toilets can be easily installed in limited or tiny spaces within the home.

Here are some of the waterless toilet technology and emerging trends that will change your house sanitation.

1.      Poop Vaporization

Thanks to the toilet company change: WATER Labs there is a newly developed waterless toilet that can basically vaporize human feces as a way of disposing waste and improving sanitation.

Human excretion is about 75% water and the aim of the toilet is to transform the poop into minute dried turds.

Since it does not require immediate maintenance, the toilet is lauded as a potential breakthrough in improved sanitation for the estimated 2.6 billion people in developing countries who don’t have access to toilets.

How It Works

In appearance, this waterless device bears a resemblance to the traditional toilet sitting on top of a box and has a side vent.

Located inside the toilet is a collection barrel that has a pouch lining made of an exclusive moisture-sucking material known as a polymer.

The polymer draws out all water from excreta as it goes into the drum leaving behind dehydrated solid waste as it releases water vapor.

Most users would be concerned about the bad odor emanating from the toilet during the vaporizing process.

However, the separation of the water from the solids is so rapid that the process is almost stink-free.

The developers also put in an additional filter inside the container to help curb any foul smell. The waterless toilet essentially operates like a self-flushing toilet.

On average, the toilet can last at least two weeks before being emptied if its users number about five or six people. Therefore the content does not need continuous collection and emptying.

However, the toilet company, change: WATER Labs hopes to double the capacity and is working on a larger variation that will allow the device to take even longer to empty content.

This is the long-run will save time and money as the number of pickups greatly declines while maintaining proper waste management services.

This waterless evaporative toilet technology ensures the contraption is somewhat linked with interior plumbing.

This enables the fixtures to be easily exchanged when the unit is due for a cleaning session. The pouch lining the inside of the toilet can be removed and thrown out making it easy to dispose of.

2.      Incineration

Another waterless toilet technology is incineration which works by burning waste into sterile ash which is then dumped into a trash container.

How It Works

This waterless toilet design makes use of diesel, propane or natural gas as fuel for the torching process.

The feces are transported through an electric exhaust pipe to the incinerating chamber to burn.

The burning of human waste to ash requires huge amounts of energy to accomplish therefore the technology uses a lot of fuel in the combustion process.

This type of waterless toilet might have a stench emanating from the chambers during incineration but the foul smell is short-lived.

3.      Composting

The other emerging trend in sanitation using the waterless technology is composting.

Composting works by decomposing human wastes into compost that is then used to enrichen the soil with nutrients and can be used as manure on flower beds, shrubs, and non-edible plants.

Most people cringe at the thought of having composting toilets in their homes for fear of a foul-smelling house.

However, when properly maintained and installed it emits no bad odor and functions well in waste management and sanitation

How It Works

The technology requires the installation of a compost container beneath the toilet or in a remote location close to the house.

When the toilet is used, the waste is collected and emptied into the compost box where natural decomposition occurs.

Basic materials such as sawdust and ash are added to the toilet each time a person goes to the toilet.

The waste is left to completely decompose before it is used in non-edible gardens to enrichen plants with nutrients. The sawdust helps in removing bad smell from composting toilets.

4.      Nanotechnology

Using a process known as pervaporation the nanotechnology toilet works by removing water from human waste leaving dry solids free of any parasites and pathogens to be utilized as fuel or fertilizer.

The water vapor, on the other hand, is condensed for use by households in cooking, cleaning, bathing and tending to edible gardens.

This green toilet option is backed by the Bill and Melinda Foundation with the researchers at Cranfield University receiving grants for the development of the lab prototype and to further develop the technology used in the waterless Nanomembrane toilet.

How It Works

The nanotechnology toilet has a rotating bowl that rotates at 270 degrees and when a person answers to a call of nature, they close the lid of the bowl and the waste is poured in a vat underneath the bowl.

A scraper tool is kept at hand to scrape off any remaining waste in the bowl as the solid waste is pushed to the bottom of the vat while the liquid rises to the top.

Extremely thin fibers known as nanofibers are located on the chamber’s interior to assist in moving the water vapor from the liquid waste up a vertical tube normally located in the rear of the toilet.

The fibers are arranged in bundles to help in condensing the vapor into water allowing it to flow downwards in another tube to collect in a tank located at the front of the green toilet.

The solid waste left in the vat is transferred to a separate holding chamber for coating with a scent-suppressing wax before being left to dry out.

The dry solid waste can then be transported to a thermo-processing plant to be converted into energy for use by the community.

Conclusion

It is amazing how researchers and developers are translating emerging trends of the waterless toilet technology into inventions that will change house sanitation and improve waste management in developing countries.