Placing fresh material in the center also promotes aeration, eliminating the need to turn the pile with a pitchfork, as is often suggested in composting books and classes. It is used, for example, in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, urban agriculture and organic farming. Fruits, nuts, berries, grains, and other crops by john jeavons. Compost in a grid down situation, the ability to flush away human waste is usually gone. Its not difficult, but you must do it right, or people could get sick. The humanure handbook is a great how to and more importantly whyto guide to composting human manure.
Jul 01, 2008 joseph jenkins, author of the humanure handbook, delves into an important, if somewhat controversial subject composting human faeces. Wait until after youve eaten before reading this article on lessening the impact of human waste by turning it into compost humanure. In most situations the best thing to do is to compost the waste. And all human waste will eventually be converted back into the earth. The loveable loo may be the only type of toilet in the world that does not collect waste. To further the conversation about human waste, in 2010, robinson coordinated a conference in colorado, called exit strategiesmanaging human waste in the wild conference. Composted human waste is excellent fertilizer for nonedible plants. He translated his thesis into ordinary english for people like us. How to safely compost human waste composting toilets. The waste of humans must be properly recycled, or composted, to eliminate any potential health risks and the contamination of water sources the raw sewage can leach into. Experts recommend that waste removed from a composting toilet or waterless toilet sit undisturbed in a compost bin outside for between 6 months and 2 years.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Plus combining general garden compost with what us humans. Humanure compost toilet system condensed instruction manual. A humanure toilet collects organic materials, primarily toilet material, which includes human excrements, fecal material, urine and toilet paper. If lowtech off the grid solutions to sanitary challenges. Humanure compost toilet system condensed instruction. The fecal and urine of people that is recycled for agricultural purposes is the semiofficial definition of humanure.
Mar 29, 2017 when composting human waste, it is important to use the finished compost on nonedible plants only, and not place it directly on something you will consume. How to convert human waste into a safe garden compost. The collected human waste is commonly referred to as humanure and ecological fertiliser, the report said anc daily news briefing. A guide to composting human manure 3rd revised edition by joseph c. Recycling animal and human dung is the key to sustainable. First, it is much easier to compost human waste waste from a urine diverting composting toilet.
Recently i came across a spate of comments about humanure, or the composting of human waste. Detailed advice interspersed with humor paperback fourth edition by joseph jenkins 6 x 9, 302 pp. Joe began selfpublishing when he turned his masters thesis into the nonfiction humanure handbook and published it in 1995. For these reasons, humanure should be recycled whenever possible. The authors web store where you can buy the humanure handbook 4th edition free shipping and other related books and items. Humanure the perfect shtf sanitation system survival. If you cant flush it or dont want to, what can you do with it. This was an already known fact by early chinese agricultural writers, who warned that untreated humanure could burn and kill plants, rot the shoots and harm human hands and feet.
In order to become sustainable as a society, in the future well have to close the loops of nutrient cycling and begin doing humanure on the large infrastucture scale, redirecting human waste to fertilizing crops instead of dumping it into waterways. A easy way to avoid having septic and waste, and put nutrients back into the soil. Human waste composting safe, sanitary, ecofriendly, illegal. Joseph jenkins, a 20year veteran of using a 5gallon bucket sawdusttoilet, begins by challenging our common practice of defecating in drinkingquality water. The humanure residue remaining in the pod, though, i treated as humanure and it went into my long composting system i had been using for humanure before i got the bsf. In this era of environmental consciousness and sustainable living, it may seem that composting human waste, sometimes known as humanure, makes sense. The term was first used in 1994 in a book by joseph jenkins that advocates the use of this organic soil amendment. Humanure handbook free download the permaculture research. Aug 24, 2017 showing you our composting set up for all our food and human waste.
Composting toiletsso youre already a fan of composting, but are you ready to make the leap to composting human waste aka humanure. Today we know it also carries more severe health risks. Also collected in the toilet are toilet paper as well as paper tubes from the center of the toilet paper rolls. Mar 07, 2017 placing fresh material in the center also promotes aeration, eliminating the need to turn the pile with a pitchfork, as is often suggested in composting books and classes. This process recycles various organic materials otherwise regarded as waste products and produces a soil conditioner the compost compost is rich in nutrients. His book, the humanure handbook a guide to composting human manure is filled with research and bibliographies that teach us step by step, what we should really be doing with our sewage, rather than discharging it into the toilet.
It looks like all i need to do is provide a bin for the waste to go into and they will eat it up in no time. When discarded into the environment as a waste material human waste, it creates pollution and threatens public health. This 5x15 bin was built for nothing out of old boards and salvaged nails and screws. So ive been doing some research on different ways to compost human waste. Jan 01, 2015 20 years of humanure composting 2015 marks my 20th year composting humanure, also known as human poop. A guide to composting human manure is in its third edition and has been translated into five languages, but it has only recently begun to catch on. Human faeces and urine can only be used as a fertilizer following further treatment. There are so many good books out there and this is by no means a complete list. More and more people are discovering the water and moneysaving benefits of fertilizing our gardens with human waste. Some human waste ends up in forests and farm fields as the treated, humanfeces. Jan 12, 2018 composted human waste is excellent fertilizer for nonedible plants. Nov 29, 2011 compost in a grid down situation, the ability to flush away human waste is usually gone.
Learn how to safely recycle human excrement humanure without chemicals, technology or environmental pollution. Sep 07, 2016 recently i came across a spate of comments about humanure, or the composting of human waste. Human excrement can be a major source of environmental pollution around the world. It is not a waste disposal device used to dispose of waste, as is a flush toilet. Composting human waste is risky business and requires a compost system that produces a high temperature and maintains the temperature long enough to kill bacteria and pathogens. Composting toiletsso youre already a fan of composting, but are you ready to make the leap to composting human waste aka humanure more hip than hippie podcast.
The humanure handbook 4th edition shit in a nutshell by joseph jenkins. However, others believe that human waste composting can be effective, but only when it is. Humanure 143 forest ln, grove city, pennsylvania 16127 rated 4. The topic is highly debatable, but most experts agree that using human waste as compost is a bad idea. Introduction all human waste originally came from the earth. Please let us know your favourite books and we will add them to our list. Heres a selection of our favourite books on composting, soil building and gardening. Most people would find some parts of this book a bit disgusting but thats all because we are all so used to flush toilets which not only waste water but pollute the. The authors web store where you can buy the humanure handbook 4th edition. The humanure handbook 4th edition won a gold medal in the 2019 readers favorite awards. Something of a cult classic, the book is now in its third edition and. Joe jenkins has written a book for the really passionate doityourself composting enthusiast.
With a nonurine diverting toilet, the contents will be too wet for efficient composting, and the combination of urine and feces creates an anaerobic environment that allows very stinky bacteria to flourish think outhouse or portable toilet at large public event. In our line of work you get a lot of poo questions, after all, we sell the stuff. This short video clip shows a humanure compost pile on its first day. The humanure system is doing great things for the world. The humanure handbook a guide to composting human manure by joseph jenkins. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Composting toilets have been around for years the first commercial models were available in canada in the 80s. This is an article on how to safely and easily compost human waste. Sep 18, 2008 written by a humanure composting practitioner and organic gardener with over 30 years experience, this third edition provides detailed scientific information on how humanure can be hygienically recycled, without fancy technological dodads, a large bank account, toxic chemicals, or environmental pollution. Its clear, informative, scientific, interesting and at times even humorous. I havent read about using human excreta without composting, e. This is because there is a very small chance that dangerous bacteria or viruses are still alive in the compost. A guide to composting human manure kindle edition by jenkins, joseph. Im homesteading and ive been keeping the waste in buckets till i found a good solution to deal with it.
Finally we have a comprehensive book on recycling human excrement. Used in many commercial, industrial and household applications, activated charcoal is charcoal that has been treated with oxygen, which creates a fine, porous material. Using activated charcoal in compost and garden soil is an effective way. A great and symply way to take responsably for your own waste. The list is meant to be a reference for a beginning or avid composter. The 1st edition of humanure was published in 1994 with a print run of 660 copies, which the author fully expected would last the rest of his life. The empty bin bottom is dished out, the biological sponge is added, and toilet materials are.
Using humanure in gardens is it safe to compost human waste. The stink about human poop as fertilizer modern farmer. Compost toilets produce no waste, no sewage, no wastewater, no odor and no. Written by a humanure composting practitioner and organic gardener with over 30 years experience, this third edition provides detailed scientific information on how humanure can be hygienically recycled, without fancy technological dodads, a large bank account, toxic chemicals, or environmental pollution. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the humanure handbook. Human waste contains harmful microorganisms that are fatal to humans. Humanure, unlike human waste, is not waste at all it is an. All urine is collected in the humanure toilet no urine separation is required or recommended. There, he collaborated with geoff hill, who was pursuing his ph. The collected human waste is commonly referred to as humanure and ecological fertiliser, the report said.
Humanure is a portmanteau of human and manure, designating human excrement feces and urine that is recycled via composting for agricultural purposes. Books about composting this list can include books about any legitimate form of composting, and can also include books that only have a chapter or section on composting. A guide to composting human manure from the worlds largest community of readers. Treated human waste has been used on farmland for decades, but the ick factor has not entirely faded. If you follow a few simple steps, you will be able to compost human waste safely and easily, with zero odor. Composting human and food waste the method youtube. Free shipping in the continental usa alaska and hawaii not included. A guide to composting human manure by jenkins, joseph c.
Written by a humanure composting practitioner and organic gardener with over. This book tells you exactly what you need to know about how to deal with feces and urine when the toilet doesnt work. I thought i would share the experiences of our friend, gus, in california who has been creating. Joseph jenkins, author of the humanure handbook, delves into an important, if somewhat controversial subject composting human faeces. The humanure handbook a guide to composting human manure by joseph jenkins, 1999, 2nd edition, jenkins publishing. In the video above, joseph explains how to set up a safe. However, if you live in a cooler climate, i suggest letting it sit for a full. The humanure handbook, newly released in a revised, expanded, and updated edition, is a delightful treatise on composting human waste. A large outdoor compost bin is key in recycling all your waste into highquality fertilizer. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Jenkins is a great writer with a passion and knowledge of nature and ecology is quite thorough, making this work popular for very good reason. Without proper treatment it can quickly become a hazard to your familys health. A subject thats been popping out more and more is can i vermicompost my poo. In that time ive managed numerous compost piles, scrubbed countless buckets, read the humanure handbook about five times, built a variety of structures to serve as outhouses, had numerous outhouses built by others, and created a lot of soil.
The 1st edition of humanure was published in 1994 with a print run of 660 copies, which the author fully expected would last the rest of his life now, 11 years later, the book has sold over 25,000 copies in at least 59 countries worldwide and has been published in foreign. The material removed from a urine diverting toilet should be just slightly damp perfect for composting. Humanure composting follows the basic principles of organic composting. If you are an american with a disability we offer a toll free disability services phone line at 8004385346 during regular business hours and one of our knowledgeable customer service representatives will help you navigate through our website, conduct advanced searches, read you the specifications of any item and consult with you about the products we. Jenkins is a humanure composting practitioner and organic gardener. The first edition of the book was execrable, but it developed a. There are almost seven billion defecating people on planet earth, but few who have any clue about how to constructively handle the burgeoning mountain of human crap. Some environmentalists think the treatment process may not get rid of all the harmful. Jun 10, 2008 poo is a crappy subject, but one worth covering. Its an alternative sanitation system, says jenkins, where there is no waste. Is it safe to use compost made from treated human waste.