A composting toilet is a simple, eco-friendly system that turns human waste into compost using natural aerobic processes. Instead of flushing with water, waste is collected in a contained chamber where it breaks down naturally with the help of oxygen and organic materials such as sawdust. Over time, this turns into a safe, nutrient-rich compost that can be used around trees and non-edible plants.

All our toilets use urine separation — a diverter we designed and manufacture ourselves here in Wales — which keeps the solids dry. That’s the secret to a compost toilet that works beautifully and never smells.

No — a properly designed and maintained compost toilet shouldn’t smell at all. The key is urine separation, which keeps the compost dry and prevents odours. Our toilets use a urine diverter to direct liquids away from solids, stopping ammonia build-up before it starts. Adding a scoop of sawdust or wood shavings after each use covers everything up, balances the compost, and keeps it fresh and aerated. Many of our customers tell us their compost loo smells less than a conventional bathroom.

Not at all — you sit down and use it like any other toilet. The only differences: gents should sit down to wee (so the urine separator can do its job), and you add a scoop of sawdust after a solid use. Toilet paper goes straight in. That’s it — no levers, no chemicals, no flush.

Yes. Toilet paper is made from wood pulp, so it breaks down naturally in the compost and adds useful carbon to the mix. Plain, unbleached paper composts fastest. The only thing to keep out is wet wipes — even the ‘biodegradable’ ones don’t really compost.

No — that’s the beauty of them. Our toilets are completely off-grid: no plumbing, no sewage connection, no power needed. Good natural ventilation keeps air moving without a fan, which is why they suit allotments, churchyards and remote sites with no services at all.

Yes. Building Regulations in England were updated in 2010 to officially permit composting toilets as part of a drive to reduce water use — and they’re legal across the rest of the UK too. The main things to get right are that the building complies with any planning rules for your site, and that urine and compost are dealt with responsibly, away from watercourses. Small outbuildings are often exempt from building regulations entirely. If you’re unsure about your site, get in touch — we’re always happy to advise.

Composting toilets can go just about anywhere! They’re ideal for off-grid cabins, gardens, allotments, campsites, glamping sites, nature reserves, churchyards, schools, fishing lakes and visitor centres — anywhere you want a comfortable, sustainable toilet without needing plumbing or a sewage connection.

And because there’s no water in the system, there’s nothing to freeze — perfect for unheated and remote spots.

We deliver our ready-made toilets across the UK. They sit on a simple level base — no groundworks, excavation or underground chamber needed, unlike vault-style systems. If you’d rather build your own, our DIY plans give you everything we’ve learned from hundreds of builds.

Yes — our Compost Toilet with Disabled Access features a wheelchair ramp and a spacious interior, making it ideal for public and community sites that need accessible facilities.

The frequency of emptying depends on the usage and size of the poo bin. A 25 litre bucket - as used in the Basic Composting Toilet - will fill up much quicker than a wheelie bin, as used in the Bog Standard and our other composting toilets.

As a rule of thumb, one adult using a wheelie-bin toilet every day takes around 150 days to fill a bin — so a family of four might swap bins every five to six weeks, while an occasionally used allotment or churchyard loo can go many months. When a bin is full, simply wheel it aside to rest and compost, and roll in an empty one. More users? Just add more bins.

Compost toilets are low maintenance, but like any toilet, they do need a little care. Keep an eye on sawdust levels and top up regularly. Check the container every so often and empty it when it’s getting full.

Wipe down surfaces as you would with any bathroom, and if your toilet is outside, make sure the ventilation and airflow remain clear — this helps everything dry and compost efficiently. No chemicals, no callouts, no moving parts to go wrong.

Untreated sawdust or wood shavings are ideal — coarser shavings trap more air than fine dust, which helps the compost breathe. Pet-bedding shavings from any pet shop work well, and many sawmills and joinery workshops will give shavings away for free. Chopped straw, dry leaves or coconut coir also work.

Clean the seat and surfaces with your usual eco-friendly bathroom cleaner — just avoid pouring bleach or strong disinfectant into the chamber, as it kills the helpful microbes doing the composting. Diarrhoea or sickness is nothing to worry about either: add an extra scoop or two of sawdust to absorb the moisture and carry on as normal.

Yes — the toilet works exactly the same all year round. Composting itself slows down below about 7°C and picks up again in spring, so the contents simply rest over winter. And with no water anywhere in the system, there’s nothing to freeze or burst — a real advantage over plumbed toilets in unheated or remote spots.

Rarely — flies are only attracted to wet, exposed waste, and urine separation plus a good covering of sawdust after each use removes both. A well-run compost toilet has no more flies than any garden shed. If they ever do appear, it’s almost always a sign the contents are too wet — a few generous scoops of sawdust will sort it out.

Urine is sterile in healthy people and is one of the best free fertilisers there is. You can pipe it to a simple soakaway (a gravel-filled pit) where the ground absorbs it, or collect it in a container and dilute it — about eight to ten parts water to one part urine — to feed non-edible plants, trees and hedges. Just keep it away from watercourses.

Yes — on trees, shrubs, hedges and ornamental beds. We recommend composting for one to two years in total: the wheelie bin or chamber does the first stage, then a standard garden compost box finishes the job. By then it’s dark, crumbly, odourless and reduced to a fraction of its original volume. As a sensible precaution (and in line with World Health Organization guidance), don’t use it on vegetables or food crops.

A flushing toilet sends thousands of litres of drinking-quality water into the sewers every year. A compost toilet uses none — and instead of adding to sewage overflows in our rivers and seas, it returns nutrients to the soil in a closed, natural loop. No water, no chemicals, no electricity, no waste.

By choosing a compost toilet, you’re helping to protect waterways, conserve resources, and promote a more self-sufficient way of living — all while enjoying a comfortable, odour-free toilet.

Yes — in some cases, you can! Depending on your location and purpose, there may be grants or community funding available to help cover the cost of installing a compost toilet.

• Community and church projects: Local councils, environmental trusts, and organisations like the National Lottery Community Fund or Heritage Fund often support eco-friendly facilities for public use.
  
• Allotments and schools: Some councils and sustainability programmes offer small grants for improving site accessibility or reducing water use.
  
• Charities and visitor centres: Off-grid and environmental education sites sometimes qualify for rural development or eco-innovation funding.
  

We’re happy to advise or provide supporting information if you’re applying for a grant — just get in touch with us!