For millions of people living in third world countries, access to basic sanitation facilities is limited or nonexistent.  In many of these areas, the lack of running water means that the same rivers used for bathing and obtaining cooking water are also used for defecating and dumping garbage.  The biggest problem with such contamination is the threat of waterborne illness, a leading cause of death among infants and children in impoverished countries.  One of the best possible solutions to this problem is waterless toilets.

Waterless toilets are not a new invention; in fact, they’ve been around for decades.  One of the biggest barriers to their use and integration in third world nations is education.  Groups like the Peace Corps and UNICEF routinely go into such countries to promote better sanitation by making waterless toilets available and educating people on how to use and maintain them. Unfortunately, there are far more areas that need such assistance than there are volunteer groups and funds to provide it.

There are various types of waterless toilets available today, and some are more feasible than others for use in third world nations.  Probably the most commonly used is the sawdust toilet because of its extremely simple design.  Consisting of nothing more than a five gallon bucket fitted with a toilet seat on top, sawdust toilets are very inexpensive to build and distribute on a large scale. 

All that is required to maintain the system is an ample supply of sawdust, peat moss, sand, or any other fine particulate substance.  This material is used to cover the waste inside the toilet after each use, so as to prevent odors in the bathroom area.  In arid climates with plenty of sandy soil, these systems are quite feasible for people to maintain.  However, sawdust toilets are a good solution only for people living in remote or rural areas, because they do require some land in an area at least fifty yards or so from the primary residence. 

This land should be a location where the composting pile can be kept and buckets routinely emptied as they fill up.  Obviously, in densely populated urban areas, this would not work.

A better alternative for urban areas are waterless composting toilets.  These are professionally manufactured systems that are designed to hold all waste and compost it internally.  The primary problem with this solution is the cost.  Waterless composting toilets are often prohibitively expensive and require grants or donation from generous benefactors to implement them on a large scale. 

The advantage to composting toilets is that they don’t require a lot of land space, since all waste is handled within the toilet itself.  They are very simple to use and maintain; however, they do require an ongoing supply of bulking material, such as peat moss and wood chips.  This bulking material should be added to the toilet on a daily basis in order to maintain the correct balance of carbon and nitrogen within the compost.  This will help the waste to break down quickly and without creating unpleasant odors. 

Access to such a bulking material may be limited in some urban areas and also might be financially unfeasible for people to purchase, and this could create another potential barrier to their use.  Ideally, if an urban municipality could supply bulking material to residents at a minimal cost, this hurdle could be overcome.

One way or another, better sanitation facilities are desperately needed in third world countries.  Millions of people fall ill and thousands die each year due to illnesses caused by contaminated water supplies.  Waterless toilets would allow residents of such countries to dispose of their waste in a hygienic manner without wasting or contaminating their limited freshwater resources.

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About the Author:
For more information on waterless toilets and composting toilets, please visit http://www.composting-toilet-store.com/
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Soap nuts are actually not a nut; they are in fact a berry from trees that grow in particularly in India and Nepal. A very ecological and economical way to do your laundry, they have been used for centuries thanks to their degreasing qualities.

Once ripe, soap nuts become sticky due to the high content saponin contained in their shells that, when added to water, act as a natural detergent. The detergent properties of the saponin in the soap nuts is due to a combination of lipophilic components (soluble in oily organic compounds) and hydrophilic compounds (soluble in water), which, when agitated, remove grease from clothes, skin or soiled surfaces.

Soap nuts used as shells or in liquid form, do not need any processing or industrial production. Neither do they require any added pollutants (phosphates, solvents, whitening agents) before use. Also when using soap nuts, the water released from your washing machine contains nothing harmful to the environment. In fact, the saponin from the nuts acts as a very good solution to combat the propagation of parasites and the aphids in the garden. Soap nuts are, therefore, considered as non-toxic and non-polluting.

Other Advantages of Ecological Laundry

Soap nuts are not aggressive towards clothing and linen
Soap nuts are very effective for washing delicates, wool and silk without pilling or spoiling the shape
Soap nuts are great for making colours vibrant again
Soap nuts are hypoallergenic and excellent for anyone who suffers from skin complaints
Soap nuts are more economical than traditional washing detergents
Soap nuts can be used for multiple purposes: laundry, jewellery, pets, household, etc.

What Results Can I Expect For My Laundry?

Due to the natural characteristics of saponin, soap nuts are considered to be less effective than chemical detergents but, they are sufficient for most washes. They are great for colours and delicates and can be used for hand or machine wash in temperatures of 30° to 90°. They are also suitable for dish-washing. The people who use soap nuts are generally of the opinion that this green, ecological manner of washing is as good as washing with chemical detergents, although for heavily soiled laundry, the use of a stain remover or bicarbonate of soda is recommended.

Instructions For Use in The Washing Machine

Put 6 half nuts into the cotton bag (normally provided) and add to the laundry in the drum
Add a couple of drops of your favourite smelling essential oil to the wash; because the soap nuts offer no scent.
Re-use the same nuts 3 to 4 times more for low/medium temperature, and less for hotter washes
When the soap nuts become soft, throw them on your garden compost heap and use new ones for your next wash

Soap Nuts Liquid Soap

If you decide to use soap nuts in a liquid form, the same rules apply in terms of using in the washing machine; temperatures ranging 30° to 90°.  Just add about 40ml of liquid direct into the drum or the drawer of the machine and wash as normal; not forgetting the essential oil for scent.

A Few Tips & Tricks

If your laundry is very dirty, pre soak it with bicarbonate of soda as well as the wash nuts.
If there are stains, rub with Savon de Marseille then soak as above
If the water is very hard, soap nuts can be less effective so add a little baking soda or white vinegar to the washing machine

How to Make Liquid Soap

More Uses for Soap Nuts

Available in the UK
For more information, visit our website at http://www.naturalfrenchsoap.com
and our blog at  http://www.naturalfrenchsoap.com/blog.html
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