Everything You Need to Know About Composting Toilets in Converted Vans, Vans, or RVs

The question of composting toilets inevitably arises when you embark on the adventure of a converted van or camper van.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of composting toilets? We've tested all the composting toilet solutions for campervans and vans, and we’re sharing our expert opinion on the matter!

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Summary


Composting Toilets

How Does a Composting Toilet Work?

Let's get straight to the point:

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You do your business (big or small!) in a sack placed in a bucket and cover it with sawdust and wood chips.

To dispose of it, you throw the bag in a proper trash bin (the regular waste one) or you can bury it (if the bag and toilet paper are biodegradable, of course!) in the ground, digging a hole to avoid detection after your departure.

Note: Originally, the content is intended for composting: hence the importance of mixing urine and feces, as urine contains nitrogen. It's essential to add wood chips so that air can circulate.


What Is a Composting Toilet?

It's all well and good to have a composting toilet, but what accessories and equipment are necessary for its use?

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  • A bucket for composting toilet (food-grade plastic or stainless steel). These materials are smooth, so easy to clean and don't hold odors.
  • Compostable bags (if possible, compostable toilet bags).
  • Ecological or compostable toilet paper (if you bury your waste).
  • Sawdust or wood chips stored as close as possible to the toilet. (Be sure to have a storage container)
  • A wooden box or similar where the toilet seat will go, designed for handling the bucket and also serving as storage for the sawdust. In our Combeing concept, which integrates a portable composting toilet with a removable lid and front, the box harmonizes with the rest of the kit when covered with a cushion. Inside the poplar box, a mold for the bucket in the bottom prevents it from moving. The box height ensures the bucket (covered with protective bags) just touches the melamine lid cut-out to avoid splashes. It also accommodates a 4kg sawdust bag.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Composting Toilets

Advantages of the Composting Toilet

The advantages of composting toilets are numerous, which is why we ultimately opted for this solution that meets our technical and ethical criteria:

  • Simple because it won't break down and requires no plumbing, super easy to clean: it's used by most van users.
  • It uses no water: important because water storage is limited in a van, and it's good for the planet. A person uses 30 liters of water daily for flushing, which adds up to over 10,000 liters per year!
  • Eco-friendly again: no use of chemical products like with chemical toilets.
  • Cost-effective because in addition to no maintenance and buying toilet products, you can get wood chips or sawdust for free from local sawmills. Don’t hesitate to inquire with local professionals. You can use cat litter if you're in a pinch.
  • No emptying required, so goodbye to the hassle of finding an RV dump station to empty and clean the toilet.
  • Compact and easily portable outdoors when you're alone in nature or in a shower tent.
  • Indispensable at night, in rainy weather, or if you're stuck in the city. It's highly appreciated in an emergency, unfortunately, for intestinal issues.
  • The composting toilet is extremely practical for everyday use, allowing you to be self-sufficient for personal hygiene.
  • Its affordable price, ranging from 50 to 150 euros without the box, and 249 euros with the Combeing box.

Disadvantages of the Composting Toilet

  • You have to find sawdust or wood chips, preferably untreated. (Sawmills, big-box stores in the pet section, online…). Annual consumption for two people: half a cubic meter per year. You need between 0.5 and 1 liter of sawdust per use.
  • It’s a bit of a learning curve: you’ll need to practice aiming to avoid accidental urine splashes. You can apply a varnish to protect the wood and make it easier to clean.

Do Composting Toilets Smell?

No, they don't smell bad! Yes, despite what people may say (usually those who've never used one; the less you know, the more you give your opinion).

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Composting toilets smell much less than chemical toilets, for example.

The sawdust and wood chips, when covering the waste, absorb odors and moisture. However, urine turns into ammonia after a few days, leading to unpleasant smells.

Also, you'll need to empty your bucket 1 to 2 times a week if you're two people!


How to Use a Composting Toilet?

Using a composting toilet is easy!

  • Place a first trash bag as a protective liner in the bucket.
  • Place a second biodegradable bag and add a layer of sawdust and wood chips at the bottom of the bag (two good handfuls).
  • After each use, cover the waste with the same amount of sawdust and wood chips.
  • Empty your bucket once it's full, about 1 to 2 times a week.

Cardboard Toilet Kits

Cardboard composting toilets can be a quick solution and a first step into the world of composting toilets!

Cardboard toilets in a nutshell:

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  • These are foldable cardboard toilets that unfold in 1 minute to become a toilet seat with a bowl that can support up to 115 kg.
  • Place a biodegradable trash bag inside and sit down to take care of business. The absorbent pads provided with the bags gel with urine. When you're done, close the bag (always for single use) and dispose of it in the trash.
  • Once folded, the kit can be stored in a compact space until its next use.
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  • Advantages: simple, odor-free, clean, each user can have their own kit!
  • Price: 39 euros for 1 toilet, 12 bags, and absorbent pads.
  • Useful, if you don’t want a toilet in your van and prefer using outdoor toilets, for emergency use (at night, in cold weather, in the city, or in case of intestinal issues, etc…).
  • Not for outdoor use due to moisture.

Separation Toilets

Principle of Separation Toilets

  • With this type of composting toilet, a separator is placed in the toilet seat hole. Thanks to this separation, solid waste is directed into a dedicated bucket and urine into a separate container.
  • Sawdust and wood chips are still used for solid waste but in much smaller quantities (up to 10 times less).
  • The price will be higher than for standard composting toilets.
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Advantages of Separation Toilets

  • The advantages of separation toilets are essentially the same as those of regular composting toilets (see above).
  • Additionally, emptying the bucket for solid waste is much less frequent. The urine container will be easier to empty, although it will need to be done more often.
  • The separation of urine, along with the design of the liquid container that prevents odors and spills, effectively addresses the odor problem.

Examples of Separation Composting Toilets

A Wooden Kit

  • These are designed to stay inside the van or camper. Be mindful of the added weight.
  • Note that the wooden kit can be combined with a natural or electric ventilation system to vent moisture and any odors outside, which requires some DIY work and modification to your van or camper.

A Portable Kit

  • For 249 euros, this is made of recyclable polypropylene for campervans and vans.
  • It can even be moved outdoors (in a shower tent or behind a curtain for privacy, or even in the middle of nature if that’s your thing!)
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Its lightweight design and compact dimensions make it easy to fit into a Combeing box with a detachable front, allowing it to integrate harmoniously with other Combeing modules.

There’s even room in the box to store sawdust or wood chips bags.


Vanlifers' Stories: When Composting Toilets in a Van Become Essential

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Story 1: “We used to rely on public toilets and nature. It was never a problem until the day we were both sick! When it rains, when it’s -20°C, or when you're feeling unwell (yes!), having a toilet and a water point in your van or camper is more than appreciated.”


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Story 2: “Composting toilets are essential when we’re in the wild. As soon as possible, we use public toilets, because if you use composting toilets every day, you need a large supply of wood chips.”


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Story 3: “The composting toilet is just for emergencies when there’s no other choice: when it's pouring rain, -5°C, on a crowded parking lot, and there’s no toilet for 50 km. It’s a real LIFESAVER.”

But for most van or van conversion users, and even RV owners, composting toilets are essential. We’re seeing more and more "roadtrippers" converting their chemical toilets to composting toilets for environmental reasons.

Lastly, some countries like New Zealand are going to make toilets mandatory in all vans.


Different Accessories for Composting Toilets

What Bags for Composting Toilets?

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These compostable bags for composting toilets collect sawdust and your waste. Once full, they close and go into the compost. Bags labeled "OK Compost" break down easily within 10 to 45 days in an industrial composting system. Expect 8 to 12 months in your own compost bin.


What Sawdust for Composting Toilets?

The use of sawdust and wood chips is crucial to manage odors and the absence of a flush. You can often get it for free from sawmills, as the wood is natural, rather than from woodworking shops. Choose pine or spruce for their pleasant scent. Avoid exotic woods, treated woods, or reconstituted woods because of chemical treatments and glue usage.

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Wood Sawdust

Wood sawdust is finer and complements wood chips
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Wood Chips

Wood chips, thicker, are also suitable for composting toilets

Good to know: For purists, sawdust is too fine to be used alone as composting toilet litter.

Due to its high absorption capacity, it blocks airflow and smothers the materials. If air is absent, urine turns into ammonia, causing unpleasant smells. Use it in conjunction with dry, fine wood chips that will absorb the liquids without clumping and allow air circulation.

Of course, other materials like straw, hay, autumn leaves, hemp dust, or miscanthus can be used, but avoid sand, dirt, ashes, and cat litter as they lack the organic matter necessary for composting! In an emergency, you can find rabbit sawdust or horse bedding in garden centers, pet stores, or agricultural co-ops.

It's best to keep it simple and stick with sawdust or wood chips from sawmills.

Adding white vinegar, one tablespoon every 2 to 3 days, helps prevent ammonia formation from urine.

If good bedding (hemp or miscanthus) mixed with fine charcoal is used, it’s not only an eco-friendly solution but also very practical for emptying solids — just close the biodegradable bag and throw it away in the trash or compost bin. Urine can be directed to the drains or diluted and used as compost.


Eco-Friendly Toilet Paper, Of Course!

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We use a large amount of toilet paper each year , so it’s better to use eco-friendly toilet paper, especially if you bury your waste.

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