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So we all know how composting works, right? Whatever goes into the compost container takes time to decompose, then comes out as an earthy, dark and crumbly substance. Usually when we talk about composting, we refer to the composting of kitchen and garden wastes. Did you know that we can compost human waste?

Okay, I know that sounds gross, but composting toilets are actually very clean and effective. They are starting to sprout up in many state parks and even some green college campuses. Think of it as a very upscale and green portable toilet. The building pictured actually contains a composting toilet. It is the Canaan Valley Institute in Davis, WV. It is a LEED-certified building. This facility also uses a green filtration system to reuse their water for flushing toilets. (There is actually only one compositing toilet in the building; the rest are normal toilets.) They keep their drinking water separate from their water filtered by plants, though their measurements indicate that the water they filter on their own would be safe of drink. Their energy bill is amazingly low, not much more than a typical home.

Owning a personal composting toilet is not anything I expect anyone to be doing any time soon. It just doesn’t fly well when people have to think about dealing with their own waste. However, if you know of a nearby park where there is currently a portable toilet or simply no toilet at all, consider recommending a composting toilet for the area. Composting toilets are much cleaner (and smell less) than normal portable toilets, and they help our world become a little bit greener. On Seguin Island in Maine, there is a composting toilet that a boy built for his Eagle Scout project. When I visited the island with some locals, they told me I had to use the toilet. They were actually quite proud of their composting toilet, believe it or not. The facility was indeed very clean and did not smell like waste or chemicals. Properly built composting toilets protect ground water from contamination or provide optimal nutrient recycling.