Treebog

A Treebog could be built with a bench-type seat, as in this ArborLoo, only there is no hole in the ground and it is raised one meter above the ground. The excrement is surrounded by a barrier of mesh, straw, and trees, such as willows.

A treebog is a type of low-tech compost toilet. It consists of a raised platform above a compost pile surrounded by densely planted willow trees or other nutrient-hungry vegetation. It can be considered an example of permaculture design, as it functions as a system for converting urine and feces to biomass, without the need to handle excreta.

Defecating in nature is frowned upon in most countries, as it pollutes the environment and causes health problems. High levels of open defecation are linked to high child mortality, poor nutrition, poverty, and large disparities between the rich and the poor.[1][2]: 11  Human faeces normally take about a year to biodegrade outdoors.[3] In the UK, a system like this is potentially legal, so long as it not in a public place, i.e. on a large private estate.[4]

  1. ^ Clasen; Boisson; Routray; Torondel; et al. (2014). "Effectiveness of a rural sanitation programme on diarrhoea, soil-transmitted helminth infection, and child malnutrition in Odisha, India: a cluster-randomised trial". The Lancet Global Health. 2 (11): e645–e653. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(14)70307-9. ISSN 2214-109X. PMID 25442689.
  2. ^ Progress on drinking water and sanitation, 2014 Update. WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP). 2014. ISBN 9789241507240.
  3. ^ Martineau, Chantal (5 June 2019). "Nature is calling: Here's how to poop properly in the great outdoors". Roadtrippers. Roadtrippers, LLC 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  4. ^ "New Clause 16 - Summary offence of urination or defecation in a public place". TheyWorkForYou. mySociety. 6 March 2001. Retrieved 1 December 2020.