We Built A Compost Toilet!

If you’re planning to spend more than 24 hours outside, you need to account for 2 essential things: 1) a place to sleep, and 2) a place to poop.

Sanitation is the backbone of modern civilization. No cholera here, folks. We don’t have a septic system or sewer connection yet on our property, so a composting outhouse was the one of the very first things we built.

In its simplest form, a compost toilet is just a 5-gallon bucket and some sawdust. But our outhouse has been an evolving project and now that we’re done, it’s a pretty swanky bathroom (while still being, at its spiritual center, a bucket and a bag of sawdust).

If you’re planning to spend more than 24 hours outside, you need to account for 2 essential things: 1) a place to sleep, and 2) a place to poop.

Sanitation is the backbone of modern civilization. No cholera here, folks. We don’t have a septic system or sewer connection yet on our property, so a composting outhouse was the one of the very first things we built. Honestly, it makes a lot more sense to shit in the carbon cycle instead of the water cycle anyway.

In its simplest form, a compost toilet is just a 5-gallon bucket and some sawdust. But our outhouse has been an evolving project and now that we’re done, it’s a pretty swanky bathroom (while still being, at its spiritual center, a bucket and a bag of sawdust).

WHAT WE BUILT

Well, an outhouse, obviously. But the components include…

A 5-gallon bucket and a bag of sawdust

A plastic toilet seat

A 3’x2’x2’ box made out of 3/4” MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard), with a hole in the middle for the toilet seat and an open back to remove and replace the bucket. I also covered the box with contact paper for aesthetics and waterproofing.

An outhouse structure made from 3/4” PVC

A white linen curtain, sprayed with Scotchgard for waterproofing and with heavy bolts sewn along the bottom edge to keep it from blowing wildly in the wind

A platform made from 2x4s and plywood, painted on all sides with FlexSeal and with a square of linoleum glued to the top using PL375 Construction Adhesive

A tilted roof made from plywood and anchored to the PVC with metal J-clamps

WHAT WE LEARNED

If you want to keep precise track of where you’re burying your compost, consider setting a stone totem or other marker on the site. Choose a site far away from where you might eventually want to grow food.

Again, we’ve had great luck using PVC as a building material. It’s cheap, light, and modular. It also allows you to create nifty accessories (like, for example, a toilet paper dispenser).

If you need to drill more than 2 holes with the same spacing, consider making yourself a jig. It’ll let you drill your holes faster and more precisely.

Some in-process photos are below, and for even more pics, follow us on Instagram!