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C&RT say don't empty your compost toilet in our bins.


Alan de Enfield

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16 minutes ago, Jerra said:

 

 

Thank you, that makes interesting reading.

 

It is now clear that SARS-CoV-2 RNA is shed in faeces from many infected individuals .

The potential exists for sampling human waste at several different stages, including:

• Immediately at the sewer exit from an individual building or location, or within a small facility such as a septic tank (near-source tracking)

• Within a major sewer pipeline

• At intermediate sewer infrastructure such as pumping stations or holding tanks

• At the influent to a sewage treatment works (STW)

• In the wider environment

 

Source ; Wu, Y. et al. Lancet Gastroenterol. Hepatol., 5(5): 434-435 (2020). “Prolonged presence of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA in faecal samples.”

 

and it appears that it is not a 'nice' product to handle :

 

Samples of wastewater must be handled in secure Category 2 laboratories with suitable safety cabinets.

 

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33 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

it appears that it is not a 'nice' product to handle :

 

Samples of wastewater must be handled in secure Category 2 laboratories with suitable safety cabinets.

It's OK if it's double bagged. ?????

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3 hours ago, George and Dragon said:

Either dodgy methodology or dodgy reporting. I think it would be very difficult to say anything was or wasn't found in the sewage from 12.8 schools.

Perhaps they meant to spell with a t not ch

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From boater updates:-

Composting/separator toilets

Over the last couple editions we’ve talked about composting/separator toilets and, more specifically, what to do with the solid waste. In response to correspondence, we’ve drawn up the following statement which, we hope, answers any outstanding concerns and queries:

If you’re considering getting a separator/compost toilet for your boat, please only do so if you have the ability to completely compost the solid waste from your toilet yourself or have access to somewhere that will do this for you. If you don’t have the ability to do this, then getting a composting/separator toilet is not the best solution for you. Pump out and elsan facilities are available across our network that boats with tanks or cassette toilets can use instead.

If you currently have a separator/compost toilet on your boat and are not able to completely compost the solid waste from your toilet yourself or have access to somewhere that will do it for you, then the alternative disposal method of bagging and binning it is not an environmentally sustainable way to deal with this waste. Bagged solid waste disposed of in bins can also lead to cross contamination of other content, which otherwise is sorted and mostly recycled, and can require that the whole content of the bin needing to be disposed of in landfill. Sending waste to landfill adds costs as landfill taxes are charged.

If you have a separator/compost toilet on your boat and have been putting bagged and binned waste in our waste bins, you need to find an alternative way to dispose of this waste. We appreciate that you might not be able to do this straight away, and in the interim small quantities of securely bagged waste can be disposed of in Trust bins if there is no alternative. We respectfully ask that you only do this as a last resort. From the end of December 2021 we request that no bagged solid waste from separator/compost toilets is disposed of in Canal & River Trust waste bins. We will continue to work with boaters and others to identify a sustainable solution for the disposal of this waste.

To save you revisiting past editions, the FAQs that featured in a previous one, now slightly amended, are below:

Why has your advice about the disposal of solid waste from separator/compost toilets changed?

We believe that there is a regulatory problem with the approach that we had which meant we had to change our guidance for boaters to disposing of solid waste at an appropriate composting site away from the canal rather than bagged up in our canal-side bins. We appreciate that, in the short term, the advice isn’t ideal for those with a separator/compost toilet, but we do need to ensure that our guidance complies with waste disposal regulations.

Is this new guidance in force immediately?

We appreciate that this change in guidance has happened at short notice so small quantities of this waste can be bagged and binned for a little while longer. We respectfully ask that you only do this as a last resort. From the end of December 2021 we request that no bagged solid waste from separator/compost toilets is disposed of in Canal & River Trust waste bins.

Does this mean used nappies cannot be disposed of in your bins?

No. Used nappies can still be placed along with other household waste just in the same way that land-based parents and carers would.

If I can’t dispose of solid waste at a canal-side facility where should I put it?

If you don’t have the space to store and let the composting process happen (around 12 months), your waste should be disposed of at a suitable composting site away from the canal. Putting partly-composted waste down an Elsan leads to blockages (as this waste is very dry) which are expensive to fix. Liquid from these toilets can still be disposed of in Elsans.

What if I’m thinking about getting a separator/compost toilet for my boat?

We strongly advise that you only do so if you have the ability to completely compost the solid waste from your toilet yourself or have access to somewhere that will do this for you. If you don’t have the ability to do this, then getting a separator/compost toilet is not the best solution for you. Pump out and elsan facilities are available across our network that boats with tanks or cassette toilets can use instead.

Will this new guidance be in force forever?

The Trust is concerned at the numbers of boaters who voiced issues because they have opted to dispose of their solid waste into bins rather than following the principles of sustainable composting. The bagging and binning of this type of waste is not an environmentally sustainable way of disposal and we strongly advise that boaters only use a separator/composting toilet if they have the ability to completely compost the solid waste from it or have access to somewhere that will do this for them.

We will continue to work with any boaters and others to seek, identify and promote sustainable solutions for the disposal of this waste, including working with third parties who may be able to offer a service for those with composting/separator toilets.

What will be done to find a way to deal with this waste from separator/compost toilets?
We will support boaters and other partners who are keen to find sustainable ways to dispose of this waste. This could include supporting environmentally friendly and sustainable pilot projects that resolve this issue.

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C&RT Update their Guidance on composting toilets :

 

Composting/separator toilets

Over the last couple editions we’ve talked about composting/separator toilets and, more specifically, what to do with the solid waste. In response to correspondence, we’ve drawn up the following statement which, we hope, answers any outstanding concerns and queries:

If you’re considering getting a separator/compost toilet for your boat, please only do so if you have the ability to completely compost the solid waste from your toilet yourself or have access to somewhere that will do this for you. If you don’t have the ability to do this, then getting a composting/separator toilet is not the best solution for you. Pump out and elsan facilities are available across our network that boats with tanks or cassette toilets can use instead.

If you currently have a separator/compost toilet on your boat and are not able to completely compost the solid waste from your toilet yourself or have access to somewhere that will do it for you, then the alternative disposal method of bagging and binning it is not an environmentally sustainable way to deal with this waste. Bagged solid waste disposed of in bins can also lead to cross contamination of other content, which otherwise is sorted and mostly recycled, and can require that the whole content of the bin needing to be disposed of in landfill. Sending waste to landfill adds costs as landfill taxes are charged.

If you have a separator/compost toilet on your boat and have been putting bagged and binned waste in our waste bins, you need to find an alternative way to dispose of this waste. We appreciate that you might not be able to do this straight away, and in the interim small quantities of securely bagged waste can be disposed of in Trust bins if there is no alternative. We respectfully ask that you only do this as a last resort. From the end of December 2021 we request that no bagged solid waste from separator/compost toilets is disposed of in Canal & River Trust waste bins. We will continue to work with boaters and others to identify a sustainable solution for the disposal of this waste.

To save you revisiting past editions, the FAQs that featured in a previous one, now slightly amended, are below:

Why has your advice about the disposal of solid waste from separator/compost toilets changed?

We believe that there is a regulatory problem with the approach that we had which meant we had to change our guidance for boaters to disposing of solid waste at an appropriate composting site away from the canal rather than bagged up in our canal-side bins. We appreciate that, in the short term, the advice isn’t ideal for those with a separator/compost toilet, but we do need to ensure that our guidance complies with waste disposal regulations.

Is this new guidance in force immediately?

We appreciate that this change in guidance has happened at short notice so small quantities of this waste can be bagged and binned for a little while longer. We respectfully ask that you only do this as a last resort. From the end of December 2021 we request that no bagged solid waste from separator/compost toilets is disposed of in Canal & River Trust waste bins.

Does this mean used nappies cannot be disposed of in your bins?

No. Used nappies can still be placed along with other household waste just in the same way that land-based parents and carers would.

If I can’t dispose of solid waste at a canal-side facility where should I put it?

If you don’t have the space to store and let the composting process happen (around 12 months), your waste should be disposed of at a suitable composting site away from the canal. Putting partly-composted waste down an Elsan leads to blockages (as this waste is very dry) which are expensive to fix. Liquid from these toilets can still be disposed of in Elsans.

What if I’m thinking about getting a separator/compost toilet for my boat?

We strongly advise that you only do so if you have the ability to completely compost the solid waste from your toilet yourself or have access to somewhere that will do this for you. If you don’t have the ability to do this, then getting a separator/compost toilet is not the best solution for you. Pump out and elsan facilities are available across our network that boats with tanks or cassette toilets can use instead.

Will this new guidance be in force forever?

The Trust is concerned at the numbers of boaters who voiced issues because they have opted to dispose of their solid waste into bins rather than following the principles of sustainable composting. The bagging and binning of this type of waste is not an environmentally sustainable way of disposal and we strongly advise that boaters only use a separator/composting toilet if they have the ability to completely compost the solid waste from it or have access to somewhere that will do this for them.

We will continue to work with any boaters and others to seek, identify and promote sustainable solutions for the disposal of this waste, including working with third parties who may be able to offer a service for those with composting/separator toilets.

What will be done to find a way to deal with this waste from separator/compost toilets?
We will support boaters and other partners who are keen to find sustainable ways to dispose of this waste. This could include supporting environmentally friendly and sustainable pilot projects that resolve this issue.

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1 minute ago, rasputin said:

It would appear I am on somebody's ignore list lol 

 

No you are not - but it didn't show before I posted.

 

I (and others) have had this happen previously sometimes posts posted 'hours' previously never show up until after I have posted, and sometimes posts I have posted don't appear for hours, I have asked 'technical' If I am on some sort of 'hold pending approval' list but have been told I am not.

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3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

No you are not - but it didn't show before I posted.

 

I (and others) have had this happen previously sometimes posts posted 'hours' previously never show up until after I have posted, and sometimes posts I have posted don't appear for hours, I have asked 'technical' If I am on some sort of 'hold pending approval' list but have been told I am not.

Lol you know if you are on mod it could be days before your post appeared!

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10 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

No you are not - but it didn't show before I posted.

 

I (and others) have had this happen previously sometimes posts posted 'hours' previously never show up until after I have posted, and sometimes posts I have posted don't appear for hours, I have asked 'technical' If I am on some sort of 'hold pending approval' list but have been told I am not.

That's good, I didn't think I was the sort of person to appear on anybody's ignore list

and I didn't think you were the sort of person to have a long one.

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So to summarize:

 

  • We have been telling you to do the wrong thing for years, including in our Boater's Handbook we co-produce with the Environment Agency. 
  • As of a month ago you had to stop doing this immediately with no notice, but now you still can until next year but we'd rather you didn't.  
  • Unless it's wrapped in a plastic nappy, then it's fine but plastic bags are right out.
  • We had no idea how many people were using separating toilets because we didn't ask, but were stunned at how many people contacted us about correct disposal when we changed it a month ago.
  • We are continuing to just repeat the same "We will continue to work with any boaters and others to seek, identify and promote sustainable solutions for the disposal of this waste" phrase we have been saying for 5 years but not doing anything else.

 

 

I think that covers it.

 

 

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I think it would make sense if C&RT made all boatbuilders aware of the change in policy as it sounds, from Facebook posts I have seen, that a composting loo is still being offered as a choice to their customers 

 

Haggis

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2 minutes ago, haggis said:

I think it would make sense if C&RT made all boatbuilders aware of the change in policy as it sounds, from Facebook posts I have seen, that a composting loo is still being offered as a choice to their customers 

 

Haggis

 

But for those boaters who genuinely have the ability to dispose of the waste correctly they surely should still have the choice?

 

But maybe what builders need to do is alert customers to the need to dispose of waste correctly if they make that choice?

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3 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

But for those boaters who genuinely have the ability to dispose of the waste correctly they surely should still have the choice?

 

But maybe what builders need to do is alert customers to the need to dispose of waste correctly if they make that choice?

I agree if boaters can compost  properly then there is no.prpblem with them having a composting loo installed - until they come to sell the boat.  I think builders should make customers aware of the situation though. 

 

Haggis

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2 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

So to summarize:

 

  • We have been telling you to do the wrong thing for years, including in our Boater's Handbook we co-produce with the Environment Agency. 
  • As of a month ago you had to stop doing this immediately with no notice, but now you still can until next year but we'd rather you didn't.  
  • Unless it's wrapped in a plastic nappy, then it's fine but plastic bags are right out.
  • We had no idea how many people were using separating toilets because we didn't ask, but were stunned at how many people contacted us about correct disposal when we changed it a month ago.
  • We are continuing to just repeat the same "We will continue to work with any boaters and others to seek, identify and promote sustainable solutions for the disposal of this waste" phrase we have been saying for 5 years but not doing anything else.

 

 

I think that covers it.

 

 

No they were telling you to do the right thing for years (but gave you a cop-out if you couldn't be bothered) and you ignored them.

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46 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

I think you spelt "fox-compost" wrongly ... :D

 

Fox Timber near Chorley do Fox Blox for the stove. I've had a couple of packs and pretty impressed. I just a bit concerned after all the recent references to fox poo and incinerating toilets. I think I'll be ok. 

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5 minutes ago, Ianws said:

Fox Timber near Chorley do Fox Blox for the stove. I've had a couple of packs and pretty impressed. I just a bit concerned after all the recent references to fox poo and incinerating toilets. I think I'll be ok. 

 

 

I may be wrong but I'm not sure you are getting the 'fox' connection.

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