1. SWOT analysis of dry toilets
Judit Nagy1 assistant lecturer, PhD student
Dr. habil. Anikó Zseni2 associate professor
Széchenyi István University, Győr, Hungary
1: Department of Applied Mechanics, 2: Department of Environmental Engineering
Environmental Impact 2016 – 3rd International Conference on Environmental and Economic Impact on Sustainable Development
8 – 10 June 2016, Valencia, Spain

2. 1. Introducing the problem
Flush toilets
Have harmful environmental effects
Cause water pollution
Have high water consumption
Their operation and maintenance need cost and energy
Most important:
With using of flush toilets  the nutrients in the human excreta are wasted

3. 2. Solution Use human excreta for agricultural purposes Dry toilets:
Different types:
Composting toilets:
Types collect and use human faeces and urine together (ECOSAN)
Types which separate human faeces and urine (separating toilet)
Incinerating toilets
Microflush toilets

4. 3. SWOT analysis
SWOT analysis is an acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Can be carried out for a company, product, place, industry of person as well.
The technique is assigned to Albert Humprey in the 1960s and 1970s.

5. 4. Dry toilets Composting toilets Incinerating toilets
Types handle urine and faeces together
Types which separate them
Incinerating toilets
Microflush toilets

6. 5. Composting toilets - ECOSAN
Types which handle urine and faeces together
Excreta fall down  conveyor  a mechanism rotates the conveyor  the excreta slowly move along  fall into a collection bag.
The waste will be dry and odourless.
Through the ventilation pipe (5),
airflow is provided for the dehydration,
evaporation, deodorising process.

7. 5. Composting toilet - ECOSAN
We can manage the dry product in several ways:
Agricultural purposes – make compost or natural fertilizer
Use it as a source of fuel
Create biogas

8. 6. Composting toilet – Separating / No mix toilet / Urine diversion (UD) toilet
Separate urine and faeces at source
Urine contains the main part of nitrogen (88%), phosphorus (67%) and potassium (73%) of excreta.
Urine can be used as a liquid plant fertilizer directly without further treatment.
The storage period should be max. 6 months at 20°C or higher.

9. 6. Composting toilet – Separating / No mix toilet / Urine diversion toilet (UD)
UD technology have been used successfully in many developing and developed countries such as:
Ethiopia, China, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, India, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Finland, Sweden and Germany.

10. 7. Microflush toilet
Stephen Mecca with the help of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation created the microflush toilet.
The toilet is flushed with 150 cm3 grey water from the previous user’s handwash.
The resulting compost is harvested every 2-3 years.
Not regarded as a typical dry toilet, because it uses a small amount of water

11. 8. Incinerating toilet
Burns human excreta instead of flushing it away with water.
Produce electricity.
A small amount of sterile ash remains, so users have to empty the ash periodically.
The toilet have a built in circuit board that monitors the operations.

12. 9. SWOT analysis of dry toilets
Composting toilet which handle faeces and urine together
Strengths
low odour levels
no need for fuel
no pumbling required
no emission
easy to install
water free toilet system
low-maintenance system
environmental friendly
produce compost
can go 1-6 months without emptying
the hormones and medicines will be degraded during composting
easy to use in villages, in houses with garden
Weaknesses
some models need electricity for ventilation
need to be „fed” continuously, otherwise the composting process will stop
hard to apply in towns, densely populated areas and in public institutions
Opportunities
used both in developing and developed countries already
can be installed places where hard to approach, like underground mines
the product is manageable
the product can be used as a natural fertilizer
Threats
spreading of flush toilets instead of it
spreading of artificial fertilizers instead of composted excreta

13. Composting toilet which separate faeces and urine (UD toilet)
Strengths
low odour levels
no need for fuel
no pumbling required
no emission
easy to install
eliminate odours and disease-bearing flies
water free toilet system
chemical free
low-maintenance system
toilets can go 1-6 months without emptying
Weaknesses
some models need electricity for ventilation
need to be „fed” continuously, otherwise the composting process will stop
hard to apply in towns
during storage and transportation of urine several spontaneous process
storage period should be maximum 6 months at 20ºC or higher
Opportunities
used both in developing and developed countries already
can be installed places where hard to approach, like underground mines
the product (urine) can be used as a natural fertilizer
substitution of artificial fertilizer with the urine
Threats
spreading of flush toilets instead of it
spreading of artificial fertilizers instead of urine and faeces as a fertilizer

14. SWOT analysis for microflush toilet
Strengths
low odour levels
no need for fuel
no pumbling required
no emission
easy to install
eliminate odours and disease-bearing flies
reuse of greywater
chemical free
low-maintenance system
harvested every 2-3 years
Weaknesses
some models need electricity for ventilation
need to be „fed” continuously, otherwise the composting process will stop
hard to apply in towns
use a small amount of water
Opportunities
the product is manageable and can be processed in several ways
the product can be used as a natural fertilizer
substitution of artificial fertilizer with the composted product
Threats
spreading of flush toilets instead of it
spreading of artificial fertilizers instead of composted human excreta

15. SWOT analysis for incinerating toilet
Strengths
low odour levels
no plumbing required
easy to install
eliminate odours and disease-bearing flies
produce electricity
water free toilet system
chemical free
low-maintenance system
Weaknesses
need fuel (propane, natural gas, diesel) to operate
cause a minimum emission
ash from incinerating toilets should be disposed once per day
the product – ash – is not reusable
the organic matter and nutrient content of excreta are wasted
Opportunities
can be installed places where hard to approach, like underground mines
produce electric power, it is essential mostly in developing countries
Threats
spreading of flush toilets instead of it
should not be installed or operated in an area where there is a risk of accumulation of flammable vapours or dust

16. The goal is to find technological solutions in cities as well.
10. Conclusion
We can realize that composting toilets are safe and environmental friendly solution for utilizing human excreta.
A compost-like manageable product will be formed.
Have to urge use of composting toilets which handle urine and faeces together  they have more strengths and opportunities like any other dry toilet type.
In villages and in garden houses  easy to carry out
In cities  difficult to carry out
The goal is to find technological solutions in cities as well.

17. Thank you for your attention!