Yesterday, I wrote about improving how we manage poo at Hazel Hill.
One particular challenge our staff face is dealing with three of our most “productive” toilets. These are indoor composting toilets, designed so that the waste drops directly into wheelie bins in a bay beneath the building. The idea is that the wheelie bins can then be wheeled out and tipped into composting bays.
The problem? During the design phase, nobody checked whether it was actually possible to tip out a wheelie bin full of poo.
Originally, the plan included a fleet of wheelie bins, so some could be left full for a while to allow the waste to break down, making for much pleasanter work. However, during procurement, these extra bins were “value engineered” out of the project. We now have just one set of bins in use, which means they must be emptied fresh.
As part of our Plan for Poo, we want to improve this wheelie bin system. The easy fix is to buy more bins, allowing for a proper ageing process. But even with well-aged “vintage” contents, tipping the bins remains a challenge.
So we have a live design brief: to create a method or mechanism for safely and effectively emptying wheelie bins of poo.
Here are the constraints:
- We’re an off-grid site. While we have some power on-site, we prefer low-energy, low-tech solutions that align with our ethos.
- The system should be operable by one member of staff.
- Ideally, we’d like to use materials we already have on-site to stay in line with our preference for self-sufficiency.
- The bins need to be tipped into a composting bay for continued breakdown. The design of this bay can be part of the solution.
- The system should be up and running by the summer holidays.
We’re inviting suggestions from our community. Designs on a postcard, please! Ideas will be displayed on a board near the outdoor composting area for everyone’s consideration.
Watch this space for updates.