Best green stuff for cassette toilet?

[chrisbainbridge]

Any recommendations?

[Kim]

I thought it was blue stuff...

[chrisbainbridge]

 Biological green rather than colour   

[Paul H]

I've only ever used the Elsen blue stuff and then not recently, so I don't know.  You could widen your search to boaty places, I was in a marina chandlery recently and they were promoting some stuff as being more ecologically friendly.  There was a blue and a clear version and someone was asking the difference, apparently only the colour!

[Tod28]

How frequently do you plan on emptying the box? SHMBO*/** empties ours daily and we use a tbs or two of store brand biological washing powder. No niffs and acceptable for digester disposal points. Daily emptying makes the box lighter hence  easier to carry and tip.

* I am assigned other duties
** except at festivals/pop up sites provisioned with 1000l ex orange juice cubes where the height and reach required  to lift the box defeats her

PS she has only lost the effluent cap down the hole once in over three years!

[Tod28]

PPS Her main criterion when judging the star rating of the disposal point is adequate rinsing facilities - the presence of a suitable water supply and hose.  The facilities are usually one of the first points of interest when we arrive at a stopping off point.  We carry our own length of dedicated hose (marked with red tape) for use where necessary.

[MattH]

I thought it was blue stuff...

Some sites (with septic tanks for black waste) don't want you to bung blue down them as they affect the functioning of the tank by killing off the bacteria. The green organic fluids don't kill the "good" bacteria as they don't have the same nasty chemicals in them.

[chrisbainbridge]

How frequently do you plan on emptying the box? SHMBO*/** empties ours daily and we use a tbs or two of store brand biological washing powder. No niffs and acceptable for digester disposal points. Daily emptying makes the box lighter hence  easier to carry and tip.

* I am assigned other duties
** except at festivals/pop up sites provisioned with 1000l ex orange juice cubes where the height and reach required  to lift the box defeats her

PS she has only lost the effluent cap down the hole once in over three years!

I have ordered some biological stuff with good ratings and shall see how it works but will keep the washing powder in reserve.  Thank you

[toontra]

I thought it was blue stuff...

Some sites (with septic tanks for black waste) don't want you to bung blue down them as they affect the functioning of the tank by killing off the bacteria. The green organic fluids don't kill the "good" bacteria as they don't have the same nasty chemicals in them.

Yes.  Our septic tank operator now insists on green stuff.  Fenwicks Top and Tail is our go-to.

[Pickled Onion]

Boaty people are moving to compost loos nowadays. Much easier and more pleasant to deal with, especially if you're emptying once a day. No chemicals and you use corn starch bags for the solids.

Obv.,  in a van you're not going to be storing the output on the roof to grow tomatoes in once composted, but if there's an elsan disposal there's bound to be a dog-poo bin nearby.

[toontra]

Boaty people are moving to compost loos nowadays. Much easier and more pleasant to deal with, especially if you're emptying once a day. No chemicals and you use corn starch bags for the solids.

As I understand it you need to keep liquids and solids separate.  How easy would that be for young kids I wonder?

[MattH]

The Sog system is being used in some motorhomes now, chemical free. People who use it on another forum seem to like it - not least because they don't have the horrible blue chemical smell.

https://www.sog-systeme.de/cms/what-is-sog/how-it-works.html

[chrisbainbridge]

The Sog system is being used in some motorhomes now, chemical free. People who use it on another forum seem to like it - not least because they don't have the horrible blue chemical smell.

https://www.sog-systeme.de/cms/what-is-sog/how-it-works.html

That does look interesting.  I cannot see that it makes it fully chemical free but just less odour.

Currently we will acquire our new motorhome this Friday at 12:30.  If we love motor homing then we will all,ost certainly trade up in a year or two and I can the specify such additional things.

[Pickled Onion]

Boaty people are moving to compost loos nowadays. Much easier and more pleasant to deal with, especially if you're emptying once a day. No chemicals and you use corn starch bags for the solids.

As I understand it you need to keep liquids and solids separate.  How easy would that be for young kids I wonder?

It works best if men/boys sit down to wee*. But once you're sitting down you don't notice the difference from a normal toilet, so I don't see it would be a problem for any child above potty age.


* I'd argue that this is true for normal toilets too.

[toontra]

As I understand it you need to keep liquids and solids separate.  How easy would that be for young kids I wonder?

It works best if men/boys sit down to wee*. But once you're sitting down you don't notice the difference from a normal toilet, so I don't see it would be a problem for any child above potty age.


* I'd argue that this is true for normal toilets too.

   Ah OK.  Wasn't sure of the practicalities.  We're embarking on a replacement holiday hut and a composting toilet is one of the considerations.

[Kim]

Boaty people are moving to compost loos nowadays. Much easier and more pleasant to deal with, especially if you're emptying once a day. No chemicals and you use corn starch bags for the solids.

As I understand it you need to keep liquids and solids separate.  How easy would that be for young kids I wonder?

It's women who've had children that are more likely to have issues, I'd have thought.

[woollypigs]

We have upgraded to a separator toilet (Trelino) and it's very close to be the best, if not the best, upgrade we have done in our motorhome.

After 4 months in Scotland traveling around, trying to find a location where you could empty you chemical toilet. Paying 10 quid or being told only for staying campers. Talking to a few people running sites (camp and chemical dumps) they aren't too happy with that Blue stuff and the Green is a bit better but it's the same.

We got a compost toilet - bliss!

Yes, travelling around France (especially), Germany and Denmark it is sooo much easier to empty you chemical toilet. But even there a compost toilet wins hands down.

No matter how well equipped the chemical toilet disposal location is, you are getting rather intimate with your deposits.

No more leaning over, reaching as far as you can and holding your breath hoping that the splash back misses you.

Some smell while you are doing your business, just like in a normal flushing WC. It's the mix of the deposits that creates the smell and your farts.

Having it separated the smell is down to nothing.

We empty our liquid once a day, easy to find a storm drain or a thirsty bush.

The solids last 3-5 days, depending on the level of cooking Peli has done And it's no worse that picking up poop from your furry friends. And less messy than the diapers I've seen parents dealing with. All we need is a bin.

We use a mixture of organic/green cat litter and coconut coir (the brown outside bit chopped up). A scoop or two to flush, done.

If the we have a busy period* on the bog, its just a new bag time. If we are remote and struggling with finding a biin, we got a an extra bin in the back of the motorhome where double bagged it can sit just like any other garage we have, until we find a bin.

*We have been caught short once or twice where our planned journey had to change because the chemical toilet was full.

[mrcharly-YHT]

I've lived with elsans and a composting toilet.
Also took care of toilet provision for school camping trips (20+ kids and 6 adults for a week).

For camping, an ex-military (logistics) friend put me onto the best scheme.

Use elsan toilets, but only fill with plain water. Ensure soap and water washing facilities are present - just outside a toilet tent is best, so people are visible washing/not washing and can be reminded.

Dig a shallow trench, preferably on a slope (and not near a watercourse). One spade spit deep will do it.

Frequently empty elsans into trench, putting soil back on top as you go. Start at bottom of slope and work up.
This works very well, if the soil is not bog.

Regarding composting toilets. I can't remember the model we had. When it worked, it worked brilliantly. It wasn't a separating type, just a 'stir in a container' type. A fan kept positive air pressure up. Prime with a mix of wood shavings and dilute molasses. Oh, and toilet paper had to go in a separate bin. It would clog up the stirrer.
Solids were never a problem. Broke down very quickly.
The problem was urine. If we had too many people on board, the urine overwhelmed the composting and just generated ammonia. Then it was everyone off the barge while muggins donned his shoulder-length gloves, emptied and washed out the system.

The Trelino looks to be much, much better.

[Regulator]

I thought it was blue stuff...

'Blue' is no longer in favour for canal boats, motorhomes, etc.  Our marina now only stocks/uses 'green' but I can't remember the name of it.  When we had the motorhome in July, we were only allowed to use 'green' tablets.

Which reminds me, I must check when we're next on the boat...

[lissotriton]

As I understand it you need to keep liquids and solids separate.  How easy would that be for young kids I wonder?

It works best if men/boys sit down to wee*. But once you're sitting down you don't notice the difference from a normal toilet, so I don't see it would be a problem for any child above potty age.


* I'd argue that this is true for normal toilets too.

   Ah OK.  Wasn't sure of the practicalities.  We're embarking on a replacement holiday hut and a composting toilet is one of the considerations.

Best with a separate urinal, for those who want to stand up while peeing. Then that can go to a separate soak away.