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  1. The composting option for human waste disposal in the backcountry

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    Author(s): S. C. Fay; R. H. Walke
    Date: 1977
    Source: Research Note NE-246. Upper Darby, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 3p.
    Publication Series: Research Note (RN)
    Station: Northeastern Research Station
    PDF: View PDF  (267.07 KB)

    Description

    The disposal of human waste by composting at backcountry recreation areas is a possible alternative to methods that are considered unsafe. The literature indicates that aerobic, thermophilic composting is a reliable disposal method that can be low in cost and in maintenance. A bark-sewage mixture can be composted to produce a pathogen-free substance that might be used in site rehabilitation. Composting in a leakproof bin is odorless, and is largely independent of site conditions.

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    Citation

    Fay, S. C.; Walke, R. H. 1977. The composting option for human waste disposal in the backcountry. Research Note NE-246. Upper Darby, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 3p.

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