As the Altes Bahnwerk e.V. needed a new compost toilet, we decided to take on this building project. A workshop leader was found through contacts of the association, and the required materials were defined and procured in advance.
The project involved installing two toilets in an old trailer. The toilets were designed to be slightly different to accommodate anatomical differences. It was an interesting process exchanging ideas! In the end, we found two different solutions that could meet everyone’s needs.
First, we prepared the trailer: We insulated the walls with recycled Styrofoam and some wooden insulation. We extended the trailer to place the waste bins under the toilet floor, built a partition wall, installed doors, sanded the seating areas, and built toilet paper holders.
During this process, we gained a lot of experience in using common power tools and learned to work both roughly and precisely, knowing when each approach was necessary. Additionally, we learned a lot about various materials, insulation, structural stability, and, of course, the functioning principle of a compost toilet.
Our workshop leader had already built numerous toilets and could tell us a lot about the advantages and disadvantages of different construction methods and their use around the world. In many countries, compost toilets are even installed in regular houses and are nearly indistinguishable until you lift the toilet seat!
Lastly, we created a bilingual instruction manual in English and German with pictures, explaining the correct use of the toilet to its future users.