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  1. VanDweller Community Forums
  2. Life On The Road
  3. Personal Hygiene
  4. I played with my poop
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I played with my poop
QinReno
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#1
11-07-2018, 11:36 AM
Well, I'm still experimenting with different methods to get rid of the contents of pooping in a bag. There have been several long threads on this, but I didn't see any really "good" solutions. I am hoping to head south in the next month or so, so have been playing at home.

Of first note, it seems from reading various official sites that tossing human waste into the landfill is definitely illegal, despite people's rationalizations. So, I'm looking for alternatives. Also of note, I brought this issue up on the caravan forum, but there seemed to be only denial over there. But I can only only imagine the reputation the caravans will be getting when 50 van people come in every other day and toss 200 bags of poop into the local gas station's dumpster. Gakk.

So, my preferred method is still using kitty litter in the bag, then dumping the "contents only" into a pit toilet. And despite having been castigated for this approach. "Don't ever put anything into the pit toilet except ....". Foo.

However, I've been trying a couple of alternatives. First, I dumped a 1/4 cup of kitty litter into my home toilet, and it flushed 100% down on the first flush. So, I think the kitty method can generally be used with elimination in regular flush toilets when on the road.

Secondly, I tried using a mixture of 1/4 cup cooking oil and dish detergent rather than kitty litter in the poop bag, and that flushed down with no problem in the regular toilet. The purpose of the liquid mixture was so the plastic bag would be fairly clean when emptied, and that it would also be a fairly benign liquid to dump into a flush toilet. Maybe try a bleach mixture too.

Still thinking.
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johnny b
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#2
11-07-2018, 12:08 PM
"Of first note, it seems from reading various official sites that tossing human waste into the landfill is definitely illegal, despite people's rationalizations"

If this were true, there would be no sales allowed of disposable diapers...both baby and adult. There would also be no laws requiring pick up and disposal of pet waste.
Please link to your "various official sites".

"Secondly, I tried using a mixture of 1/4 cup cooking oil and dish detergent rather than kitty litter in the poop bag, and that flushed down with no problem in the regular toilet."

Wow! NEVER flush cooking oils (or ANY oil down the toilet). Talk to a plumber. There's a reason restaurants are 'required' to have grease traps and grease disposal services.

https://cleanmyspace.com/10-things-you-s...he-toilet/
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/residen...ease.shtml
http://gothamist.com/2013/11/25/cooking_oil.php


Stop thinking!
Kitty litter and the trash can...if it's good enough for Fido & Furball, it's good enough for you.

I'm taking care of my procrastination issues;
Just you wait and see.
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QinReno
getting ready
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#3
11-07-2018, 12:20 PM
Quote:If this were true, there would be no sales allowed of disposable diapers...both baby and adult. There would also be no laws requiring pick up and disposal of pet waste.

Please link to your "various official sites".
The links were discussed on the other threads. The business about diapers is the "usual rationalization" that I mentioned. I don't want to re-argue that all over again. I want a better method.

Also, no matter what, 50 people dumping 200 bags of poop into the local dumpsters every other day will not fly once the dumpster owners get wind of it (no pun intended). 

The business about not putting cooking oil in the toilet is no doubt a good one. Which is the reason I added detergent. IE, similar to using detergent to cut the grease when washing your dishes after cooking.

Quote:Stop thinking!
Poo on that.
(This post was last modified: 11-07-2018, 12:24 PM by QinReno.)
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lenny flank
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#4
11-07-2018, 12:36 PM
(11-07-2018, 12:20 PM)QinReno Wrote:  50 people dumping 200 bags of poop into the local dumpsters every other day


That sounds like either a medical situation or a natural disaster.

In my 3.5 years of dwelling, I've dumped maybe 5-6 plastic poo bags. Total.

Far fewer than that adorable little baby girl who just got strolled past me in the Walmart.


Living in "Ziggy the Snail Shell" since May 2015
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AMGS3
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#5
11-07-2018, 12:39 PM
I would never recommend flushing kitty litter down the toilet. In a poo bag thrown in the regular trash, yes, but never down a toilet. The reason it works for cat boxes is because it is very dry and it absorbs the limited amount of liquid from the poo, drying out the droppings and making the whole thing less smelly. The problem is that cat litter (unless you get one of the newer wheat/corn/dessicant crystals type) is made out of clay. When it absorbs enough water it becomes thick and gooey.

My experience with this comes from me using an entire bag of kitty litter on a handicap ramp with a thin layer of ice on it for traction. It was late winter and an ice storm left the ramp very slippery and my uncle couldn't drive up it. Around here people commonly carry a few bags of litter in your vehicle in the winter (at least my family does) to help with traction if you get stuck. It works great, so I figured of course it would work for extra traction so my uncle would be able to drive up the ramp. Well, two days later it rained, the litter absorbed all the water it could, and turned the ramp into a mud slick. I'm not talking a little dirty water, it was like a even layer of mud the consistency of what you'd use on a pottery wheel. It took me two days a stiff push broom and about a hundred pots of warm water to scrub it off so it was usable again. Even then the clay was in the cracks between the boards of the ramp and it just stayed there for years, like grout. Pouring water on it, the flow of water alone was not enough to wash it away. I had to scrub it off. I can't imagine what it would do to your plumbing/sewer pipes.

Btw, since this incident I still carry around kitty litter in the car, but I use sand for porches/walkways. I have a bag of each in my truck right now.

~angie

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk
(This post was last modified: 11-07-2018, 12:53 PM by AMGS3.)

My glass is two thirds full to allow for expansion due to freezing.
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lenny flank
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#6
11-07-2018, 12:39 PM
PS--detergent down the toilet is not a great idea either. Detergent contains a lot of phosphate and is very polluting.


Living in "Ziggy the Snail Shell" since May 2015
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QinReno
getting ready
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#7
11-07-2018, 01:01 PM
(11-07-2018, 12:39 PM)lenny flank Wrote:  PS--detergent down the toilet is not a great idea either. Detergent contains a lot of phosphate and is very polluting.
Well, everyone uses dish detergent when washing their dishes, and that goes right down the drain with the emulsified grease, same drain as the toilet, of course. Similar for laundry detergent. Waste treatment plants are obviously designed to deal with this issue.

Quote:In my 3.5 years of dwelling, I've dumped maybe 5-6 plastic poo bags. Total.
So lenny, what do you use, a porta potti? That's perfectly fine, but a different issue.
(This post was last modified: 11-07-2018, 01:08 PM by QinReno.)
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QinReno
getting ready
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#8
11-07-2018, 01:05 PM
(11-07-2018, 12:39 PM)AMGS3 Wrote:  I would never recommend flushing kitty litter down the toilet. In a poo bag thrown in the regular trash, yes, but never down a toilet. 
So, basically, just the "usual" S.O.S. method (no pun intended), into the trash. Well, we already know that one. Actually, I kind of like the kitty litter down the toilet idea. It should help scrape the yukkies off the sides of the pipes.
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AMGS3
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#9
11-07-2018, 01:16 PM
^^^Q
Or... instead of scraping it might be more like throwing sticky mudballs at the inside of the pipes???

Have you considered getting one of those incinerating toilets? Though the size and fuel usage may be a factor there. I've heard they have a bit of a smell, but what you throw away is basically poo dust, and far less than you'd have to lug to a dumpster compared to a toilet bag with litter and poo.

~angie

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

My glass is two thirds full to allow for expansion due to freezing.
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highdesertranger
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#10
11-07-2018, 01:19 PM
to everyone that uses diapers as an excuse, read the fine print on the diaper bag. highdesertranger
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