Outhouse Composting Toilets: Five Examples (With Pictures)

Outhouse composting toilets offer a practical and eco-friendly solution in locations without conventional plumbing. This article explores five distinct types of outhouse composting toilets, each designed to meet different needs and environments. From traditional setups with bench-type seats to luxurious split-system models, we detail how these systems have evolved to provide advanced waste management solutions. We also discuss the benefits of flat-floor models, the efficiency of large-capacity units for public use, and guidelines for constructing your own DIY outhouse. Accompanied by vivid examples and practical insights, this guide aims to inform and inspire those considering to have their own outhouse.

Traditional Outhouses serviced at the back

An important aspect of modern composting toilets is in the maintenance of these systems. Unlike the old buckets and potholes where servicing required handling of raw sewage, the new composting toilets are designed so that you do not have to empty the outhouse before the waste has been fully composted. Hence, the outhouse is much more pleasant to maintain and therefore usually also to use.

Flat-floor Outhouse with Composting Toilet

In the recent years, we have seen growing numbers of new commercial self-contained waterless toilets enter the market. These toilets integrate a seat on top of the toilet unit itself, eliminating the need for the bench-type seat. Consequently it is more and more common to see new outhouses being built with flat inside floor.

Self-contained waterless toilets are serviced through the front door of the outhouse. Therefore the upside for many is that there is no need to craft the bench-type seat into the outhouse and make the back entry for the composting system.

⚠ It is important to note that we deliberately use the term waterless toilet in this context because not all waterless toilets (i.e. toilets that do not flush the waste with water) are true composting toilets. There are a lot of self-contained small waterless toilets on the market that merely separate and collect the waste inside the toilet unit, but the waste management itself is intended to be done elsewhere by other means (most often by composting the waste outdoors in a larger toilet waste composter). For more information about waterless toilets vs. true composting toilets, please read Truth About Composting Toilets: Not All Waterless Options Complete the Cycle.

Luxurious Split-system Outhouse

Probably the finest of all outhouses are the ones with split-system composting toilets. These outhouses are built to have two levels with an external composting unit in the lower level and a separate toilet pedestal on top level.

Building the outhouse on two levels brings several advantages. One of them is the toilet pedestal inside the outhouse. This pedestal is almost like a regular flush toilet. Hence the use of the toilet is familiar to everyone – no one feels scared to use it (consider public use). In addition, the pedestal, made of porcelain or plastic, looks like a normal toilet making it suitable for practically any interior. Furthermore, the pedestal is robust so nobody can break the toilet just by using it without any instructions.

Another important advantage the split-systems have is the large capacity for continuous year-around use and/or large number users. There are different type of split-system composting toilets, but generally they all have much greater capacity compared to self-contained waterless toilets discussed in the previous chapter. The larger capacity facilitates longer service intervals. In other words, you need to service the toilet less often when the composting unit is larger.

Public Use Outhouse

Public parks, conservation areas, golf courses, and other off the grid visitor locations are all potential sites for public use outhouses. Outhouses in public use generally have large composting toilet systems supporting hundreds of daily toilet users. Such composting toilet systems are often either batch composting toilet or larger continuous composting toilets.

Case: Helsinki Outhouses, Finland

A great example of public use outhouses is the Helsinki Outhouses in Finland. These architecturally aesthetic outhouses have the traditional bench-type seats inside the outhouse. The Helsinki Outhouses are operated with Green Toilet 330 composting toilets. What is amazing about Helsinki Outhouses is that they are completely odorless!

The Helsinki Outhouses have about 2,000-4,000 toilet users per month throughout the year. The outhouses have multiple Green Toilet 330 composting toilet containers that are switched every 4-6 weeks after they fill up. Full composting containers are set aside for further composting process to take place, while ready composted empty containers are switch into use.

DIY Outhouse

Outhouses come in various sizes and use cases. Many people choose to make their own DIY outhouse from local materials.

When planning a DIY outhouse, it is important to:

• Make proper foundations for the outhouse,
• Equip the outhouse with the right waterless toilet for your individual needs,
• Ensure that the ventilation from the chosen waterless toilet works well,
• Decorate the outhouse welcoming (consider lights for example to avoid darkness inside)

If you would like to build your own Do-It-Yourself Outhouse

.. Download our free DIY outhouse plans from the link below.

👉🏼 Download Free Outhouse Plans Here!

DIY Outhouse – Download Free Blueprints (PDF)