compost loo | ourgreendesigns

The Compost Loo

2014

We had two makeshift outdoor compost loos, one by the silver caravan and another even more basic one that Robert had rigged up under the trees. He used the latter more often than I did. It had a broken picnic table umbrella over it which only just kept the rain off but Rob liked it because of the view. He saw deer from there once or twice. I saw a great big green snake near it and even though I knew it would have vanished as soon as it had seen me, I preferred not to use it.

We found a suitable place to put the more permanent compost loo, in between the tool shed and where the garage was going to be. It would be a convenient convenience for when we were working outdoors. Rob cleared the patch of undergrowth and laid a simple floor using some broken paving stones cemented in place. Then he found some old treated wooden posts for the frame, joined the tops with wood he had cut from the hedgerow, made a roof out of corrugated metal and attached that to the top for a roof.

Then it was my turn. I wove branches cut from a pile of brash in and out of the uprights to make the wall. Rob built frames for windows and I wove around them. Once the glass was in the frames I mixed clay, straw and sand in a bathtub and gradually covered the walls inside and out. We ended up using the cement mixer for some of the mixing and chopped straw with the strimmer both of which helped to speed up the process.

I surrounded the windows with chicken wire and nailed it onto the frames so once the clay was added the windows would appear circular. I placed two mirrors on the wall inside and treated them the same way so they also had curved edges. Once the clay was in place, Rob installed a sink, along with the plumbing, shelves, and the wood for the toilet seat to sit on. I added a little mosaic around the tap using tiny tiles I had found on the garage floor left by the previous owners.

Next I painted the metal ceiling with some old leftover paint, coated the inside of the walls with lime and the outside with (Longhorn) cow poo mixed with water, which surprisingly didn't smell too bad!

We carried bucketloads of earth up a ladder onto the roof, which Rob had lined with plastic sheeting and carpet to keep water out of the structure.

For a door we chopped boughs from young trees and Rob cut them to the desired shape. I used willow I had previously bought for basket-making to weave the door. Robert made a latch, I made some curtains for privacy from some hessian and we were done.

I wanted the building to look like a giant tree stump, so I made 'roots' by leaning curved branches against the walls propping them up with stones, covered them in clay and then more cow poo ( which surprisingly makes very good sculpting material). Some of it has washed away over time but hopefully eventually the structure will become overgrown with wild plants.

I planted some bluebell seeds around the 'roots' and transplanted ivy onto the roof, hoping it will take hold and spread. We marked the edges of a path to the toilet with some chert stone and filled in between with wood chippings. Our friend Geraldine gave us some snowdrops from her garden which I planted either side of the path.

Update December 2024

The compost loo is still standing. It looks a bit worse for wear now and could do with some love and care, but considering it's been ten years, it's doing really well. I removed the 'roots' as they were washing away in the rain.

Primroses grow on the roof and ivy trails down from it., while snowdrops and bluebells spread more each spring. Birds have roosted inside and spiders love it.

Some of our visitors find a compost toilet to be a bit of a challenge. I did too when I first used one. Generally, we are accustomed to our waste being whisked away out of sight, and using a compost toilet can be a reality check—one that some people feel they can live without!

How to Use a Compost Loo:

Sit to pee or poo—for both women and men.
After peeing, pour a cup of water; after pooing, add a cup of sawdust.
A separator channels urine into a soakaway in the ground, while solid waste collects in a bucket that is emptied as needed.