The Loo, or lack thereof in my case.

There are many things to call a toilet, but there are very few variations on the toilet. . . or so I thought.
Frenchy said she'd heard about some European something or other possibly chemical toilet and told me to research it a bit because she wasn't sure what exactly they were. We're trying to figure out what to do about the cabin not having a toilet. I did the research and it's fascinating, actually. Chemical toilets are used on RVs, planes, boats, etc., and all they do is release a chemical of some sort with each flush that disinfects the waste and then the waste is dumped when possible. The waste has to be dumped in an approved area, which is the issue. There are still other freestanding toilets where you don't need plumbing and this is where it gets interesting.

First off is the composting toilet. It's exactly what it sounds like, too. The toilet is designed to promote the decomposition of the waste and when it's 'done' you can use it in your garden. There is no odor, either - I figured that would be the downfall. That sort of toilet can only be used if it's in an area that's kept above 64 degrees consistently if it's being used consistently. The second toilet is the incinerating toilet. Once again, exactly what it sounds like. Burn, baby, burn. It uses a small amount of electricity (same as a good sized light bulb) or fuel (like propane or diesel - a 5ga propane tank can last for 200 'flushes') and your waste, liquid and solid, is reduced to a heap of ash in an hour. Don't worry, the toilet can be used during an incineration cycle, so you don't have to wait an hour between uses. If 4 people are using the toilet regularly over the course of a year you may only have to empty the ash once or maybe twice a year even in the very smallest model.

I honestly can't understand why these toilets aren't more popular. No plumbing, which is a huge reduction in water consumption - consumption of water that is most likely of drinking quality. I think they actually make incinerators for grey water, too, which is an issue in developing countries and even developed countries, really. The toilets start at $1500, but I really think it would pay for itself in water savings and in new construction homes it would save on plumbing costs, too. Think about it, would we rather have to treat thousands of gallons of human waste or would we each just like to dump out and ash pan or fertilize our gardens a few times a year? Anybody freaked out by the fertilizer and just stop right now - once it is composted it's no longer human waste. What do you think commercial compost stuff is made of? Animal poo. What's the difference?

These things seem to be marketing to hippies that want to save the universe, but I think there's a larger market out there. With everyone jumping on the green bandwagon, maybe they'll get some notice.