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How a Dry Toilet Works, an Alternative Sanitation System

The dry toilet performs all the functions of a conventional toilet without using water, while also producing resources that can be used to fertilize crops and agroforestry projects. With various construction models available, this social technology is far more than just an alternative sanitation system. When approached as a solution within our closed-loop reality, it offers an answer to various public sanitation issues, as this single technology prevents both soil and water contamination.

Operating on the basic principle of using solar heat to raise the temperature inside the waste receptacle—thereby eliminating pathogens and producing fertilizer—ecological sanitation models are highly adaptable. They improve the environmental performance of homes and public spaces, successfully meet demands based on usage, and are easy to construct and maintain.

In addition to the two dry toilet models shown below, designs using buckets, drums, and the Bason—developed by the architect who created TIBÁ (Intuitive Technology and Bio-Architecture Institute), Johan Van Lengen—are also common.

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Cite: Biletska, Irina. "How a Dry Toilet Works, an Alternative Sanitation System" [Como funciona um banheiro seco, sistema alternativo de saneamento] 04 Jul 2026. ArchDaily. (Trans. Souza, Eduardo) Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1113733/how-a-dry-toilet-works-an-alternative-sanitation-system> ISSN 0719-8884
Piracanga Thermocomposting Dry Toilet. Image © Fede Caracciolo

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