This may not make for savory lunch fare, but it should, because this is all about how there's a lot of stuff that we use that doesn't need to become "trash" and can become "food" for the earth (and us, in the long run). These pics are of our big outdoor composter out at our family's place on Long Island. We bought the tumbler barrel type so that it was easy to turn and big enough to take a whole season's worth of kitchen scraps and diapers...
Our composter is a URBAN COMPOST TUMBLER -UCT7, and recently we've taken to putting all of our eco diapers into it as well. This is a big breakthrough, since these things produce more garbage than almost anything else.
The diapers are G Diapers and 100% biodegradable (they are actually the inserted pads. The liner and covers are reusable) and breakdown much more quickly than I expected. As you can see we, in this one weekend load, we put in more than half a dozen wet diapers (pee pee only) and after a few turns, they were already getting broken down by the rich compost that we've got going in there (I also put in some 7th Generation diapers which are NOT entirely biodegradable as well - by mistake - but I am going to see how the parts of them break down and pull out the remainder at season's end).
BTW, these pics were taken about a month ago and this past weekend, EVERYTHING in the barrel is dark black/brown compost and there is no bad odor. A good, hot compost (turned often) is amazing with the speed with which is can break down so much "trash" and turn it into "food."
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I'm just gonna ask... poop in the composter? Really? I thought human and animal waste was a no-no. Or maybe that just applies to compost you're putting on plants for food?
view darcidoodle's profile
It's stated above that only the urine diapers go in. We do the same with our sweat-scoop cat litter - it has its own composter and no poo goes in, but the compost will only be used for the flower gardens.
view Hollie's profile
Thanks for clarifying, Hollie.
view darcidoodle's profile
R2-D2!
view kristykreem's profile
Why is urine safe and poop not? Is urine not a bio-hazard?
view Piri's profile
urine is the bad things filtered from your blood. It is the salt of ammonia mixed with water, and some other stuff. It is genrally bacteria free and inert.
Poo is the byproduct of breaking down food. We have lots of bacteria in our guts that breakdown food well (like ecoli) that would be harmful if ingested in large quantities.
Because bacteria live in poo, other things could too, like parasites and their eggs. Very few parasites can live in urine.
view Hollie's profile
That composter could use a splash of colour. Ever thought of decorating it?
view liljampuff's profile
For what it's worth, urine is considered sterile--this is because everything in it has crossed cell membranes to get there (that's why Hollie called it "filtered"). It is (except for water), basically all material that was specifically actively transported there, molecule by molecule. Short of something that gets into urine later (a kidney or urinary tract infection that came up into the UT in reverse, from the outside), urine should be free of bacteria, parasites, and any other living things you might not want in your future fertilizer. Sometimes there is minimal bacterial accumulation just inside the urethra, but those diapers should be fine if there is no infection and if he was well cleaned up after his previous diaper change.
What comes out the colon is a different matter. It is the other end of an open tube that starts at your mouth--that means, if your body can't break it down/absorb it/doesn't choose to take it in, it passes through and comes out the other end. As noted by Hollie, it will have lots of bacteria in it, some of which could live through the heat of composting just fine.
My only fear with the diapers is that, with very many, you'd want to watch the ammonia and pH levels. But it seems you'd have to have an awful lot before you'd need to worry.
view mAlice's profile
ooo, ive been wanting to try those g diapers but theyre a lil out of my budget right now. how do you like em?? and are they work the extra $$ in ease of use?
view deeboyayay's profile
composting is great...and I can't wait till we get our compost going in our new house. But we're committed cloth diaperers here. Very easy to use and very environmentally friendly.
view wc_canuck's profile
Diapers and cat litter are covered in bacteria whether there is actual poo in them or not. The entire human groinal area is covered in bacteria, which is why you are always supposed to wash your hands after you use the bathroom regardless of which operation is taking place. Cats poo in the same litter box in which they pee, and they dig around and mix stuff up, so the poo contaminates the entire box and contents.
If your compost pile is large enough and gets hot enough, it will kill the bacteria. If you are going to compost human or animal waste, you really ought to buy a compost thermometer. Otherwise you run the risk of spreading fecal bacteria all over the place with the added risk that rain run off will carry it into the ground water. Fun fact: organic produce is frequently contaminated with E. Coli from the animal manure used to fertilize it. Wash those vegetables, folks, and your hands.
view frum's profile