Every year millions of people set off on camping holidays. Those who do not want to do without their private quiet place on the campsite, often choose the classic chemical toilet. And there is good reason for that: they are practical, portable and compact, but most importantly easy to clean! We present the advantages and disadvantages of chemical toilets and how they work correctly.
Chemical toilet: how does this work?
Chemical toilets are not only – as is often assumed – very practical for camping, but are also used in many other areas. A well-known example is the Dixi toilet: the blue plastic cabin is frequently seen at open-air festivals and other outdoor events. In addition, toilets with chemicals are also used in buses and trains – often together with a so-called SOG system.
However, there is one difference: Dixi toilets and toilet cabins are referred to as chemical fixed tank toilets. Of course, this variation is not suitable for your camping holidays. You should rather choose the so-called cassette toilet instead. It can be taken comfortably in a larger car, in a caravan or in a camper van and has no connection to the local sewage system.
Instead, faeces are collected in a container installed underneath. It contains various chemical substances to prevent and disinfect the formation of unpleasant odours. The substances also ensure faster decomposition of faeces and toilet paper. Such a container must of course be emptied at regular intervals.
Fixed tank toilets, as we know them from festivals, are normally installed by specialised companies and then disposed of and transported away again – this is not the case with a chemical toilet. You have to empty it yourself, but only at the special disposal stations. Campsites usually have areas where portable toilets can be emptied. Under no circumstances should you simply empty the contents of your camping toilet into the next bush. This would cause great damage to nature and could even be dangerous for other camping guests.
Advantages & disadvantages
As every product, chemical toilets offer advantages, but also disadvantages for users.
Advantages
- Mobility is clearly one of the biggest advantages. Thanks to their compact design, they can easily be taken anywhere, be it in the gazebo, on camping holidays, in camper vans, caravans or for camping at a festival.
- You are completely independent of the local sanitary facilities and you can use the toilet in a private location at any time without being disturbed.
Disadvantages
- Contents cannot be disposed everywhere. In addition, for hygienic reasons, the toilet should be emptied after three days at the latest – so you are still inflexible to some extent.
- Chemical toilets have many additives that can cause lasting damage to nature and our health.
- It must also be taken into account that a camping toilet with chemicals depends on water for its proper functionality. This can be a problem, especially in the great outdoors.
- Furthermore, a camping toilet requires cleaning every time it is used, which costs time and effort and is also quite unpleasant.
- Lastly, the chemical additives and especially suitable, biodegradable toilet paper can sometimes be pretty expensive.
The right chemie for the toilet – what you need to know
Before deciding to take a chemical mobile toilet with you on your camping holiday you should be well informed. Some of the ingredients in the chemicals can be extremely harmful to our health and, of course, to nature. Therefore, one should always stick to the principle:
The less chemicals are used the better!
Such chemicals are among others:
– Glutaraldehyde: This disinfectant is characterized by a strong odor and is highly toxic to humans and nature.
Chemicals used in some sanitary additives are these here:
– Formaldehyde: Its acrid smell is characteristic. The substance formaldehyde is also used for disinfection, but can cause cancer and even damage our genetic material.
– Quaternary ammonium compounds: These are surfactants, some of which have an extremely aggressive chemical effect.
Ammonium compounds are often used in fabric softeners
The above mentioned additives should only be used when there is no alternative. Not only can they cause serious damage to human health, they can also make it more difficult to treat them in sewage treatment plants if they are disposed of via the sewerage system. In no case, however, should these ingredients simply be disposed of in nature, because traces of the chemicals can damage or even kill living organisms even months later.
Fortunately, there is now a large selection of biodegradable products on the market, so that it is no longer necessary to resort to aggressive chemicals. However, this does not mean that these alternatives are more environmentally friendly – only a closer look at the contents can help you decide what your best option is.
Which toilet paper is better for chemical camping toilets?
There are different opinions as to which toilet paper is best suited for chemical camping toilets. While some people prefer to buy extra thin but normal toilet paper, others opt for products that are especially suitable for chemical toilets. The most important thing is that the paper decomposes as quickly as possible and leaves no coarse residue that could clog the container. Normally you can also use the thinnest toilet paper in the supermarket. The basic rule is: There should be as little paper as possible in the container under the toilet, otherwise you will only find it difficult to empty the tank yourself. If you like, you can also place a garbage can next to the toilet and dispose the paper in it.
Filling and emptying camping toilets with chemicals
When filling a chemical toilet, it is strongly recommended to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. It is often mistakenly assumed that an increased addition of chemicals has a better effect. It is important to always follow the dosage instructions. The chemical additives for flushing the toilet and for the waste-holding tank are added to the container via openings on the outside. The tanks are then filled with water.
To empty the toilet, the faeces container should be removed and its contents emptied in the place specified by the campsite. Normally, there are special disposal stations where tanks with chemical additives can also be emptied. In addition, chemical additives should not be flushed down in normal toilets, even if this may seem simple at first glance. These additives often reach the next biological treatment plant where they can lead to a significant deterioration of the treatment performance.
The chemical toilet and its different variants
Not only fixed tank toilets and cassette toilets are popular mobile versions of the silent toilet: if you don’t want to install a cassette toilet in your motorhome, you opt for compact, portable camping toilets. Their capacity always depends on the respective model, but is usually a volume between 50 and 80 litres. Many toilets do not even require the addition of chemical additives, so the dry or separate toilet is a good alternative. Toilets operated with SOG technology are also a good choice because no chemicals are required.
Conclusion: The mobile toilet is often a must when camping
Mobile toilets with chemicals are still used very often on camping holidays. While they are often already permanently installed in motorhomes and caravans, they are often carried separately as a portable solution when camping. In the meantime, however, there are much more environmentally friendly alternatives on the market. The dry, separating and vacuum toilet, for instance, become more and more interesting for many campers. They don’t pollute the environment as much – and you can still use your private toilet. If you still want to use chemicals you should make sure that the contents are properly disposed in designated places.