HOW MUCH DO YOU
WANT TO SPEND?HOW COLD IS IT WHERE YOU LIVE?
MICROBES NEED TO BE COMFORT-
ABLE TO DO THEIR WORK.72 May 2019 _ PopularMechanics.com
SEPTIC
Fills up a septic tank
buried on your prop-
erty, which you’ll
periodically have
to pay a stranger to
empty.MARINE/
RV TOILET
A small but other-
wise normal toilet
connected to a
holding tank else-
where in the vehicle.
The tank is regularly
emptied.COMPOSTING
TOILET
Commode connects
to a tank that makes
compost from store-
bought or DIY ingre-
dients—carbon-rich
material, microbes—
and your contribution.ARBORLOO
Dig a pit. Build an
outhouse over it.
Poop in the pit. When
the pit is full, plant
a tree. Cover it with
the old dirt, dig a new
pit, and move the
outhouse.AT WALMART
There’s bound to be
one nearby.YOUR
TOILET
IS . . .THE BIG QUESTION
DO YOU NEED
A TOILET THAT FLUSHES?
THE GRID ISN’T JUST ELECTRICITY. It’s also plumbing. Luckily, there are a number of ways to take
care of taking care of your business without the municipal sewer system. You can use a compost-
ing toilet, a standard toilet with a septic tank, or an outhouse that’ll help you plant trees. Or there’s
always the woods. Follow this flowchart to find the method that’s best for you.IF YOU’RE NOT
MOBILE, YOU’RE
NOT TRULY OFF
THE GRID.FINE, I’LL
TRY IT.NEVER.*Self-contained units
require about 1.5 times
the space of a standard
toilet.WHAT DO I
CARE? I’M
OFF THE
GRID.YES, IT’S TOO
EXPENSIVE.
IT DOESN’T
FEEL OFF THE
GRID.NO.WHATEVER I
NEED TO.I DIDN’T GO
BACK TO
THE LAND
JUST TO
PROP UP
CAPITALISM.NOT COLD. I HAVEN’T TAKEN
MY COAT OFF SINCE I
MOVED HERE.LESS
THAN
$1,000.WHAT-
EVER I
NEED TO.YES. NO.YOU REALLY DON’T
THINK YOU CAN DO
THE COMPOST THING?DOES YOUR HOME HAVE
WHEELS OR A HULL?FIRST THINGS FIRST
DO YOU SHUDDER AT THE THOUGHT OF HAVING
TO DISPOSE OF YOUR OWN FECES?IS IT ILLEGAL WHERE YOU LIVE
TO DISCHARGE YOUR WASTE?
IT CAN VARY BY COUNTY.DOES YOUR
PROPERTY ALREADY
HAVE A SEPTIC
TA N K?HOW MUCH
DO YOU WANT TO
SPEND?ARE YOU
OPPOSED TO
INSTALLING A SEPTIC
SYSTEM?DO YOU HAVE ROOM
INDOORS FOR A
COMPOSTING TOILET?*YES, OF COURSE. I CAN HANDLE IT.NO. YES. NO.NO. YES.