Living in the part of South Carolina known as the "Low Country" I am naturally worried about such things as gravity, sewage and other personal hygene considerations. I am saving all the plastic grocery bags I can for toilet bowl liners, but they are difficult to store. I have noticed however that at the grocery store check out counter they have hundreds of them all flat and stacked. Does anyone know where to find new bags like that?

Bill in (gravity prone) South Carolina

-- Bill Solorzano (notaclue@webtv.net), March 10, 1999

Answers

Why not ask the manager of the grocery where you shop at where they order them from? Or maybe contact a plastics company in the area to see if they have any suggestions.

-- (cannot-say@this.time), March 10, 1999.

Bill, Yes. You can find them at the grocery store. Hey! They're in the business of selling stuff.

-- Puddintame (dit@dot.com), March 10, 1999.

Sam's got em. Got Lysol?

-- have q's? (answer@here.com), March 10, 1999.

This is my "low tech" composting toilet suggestion. You can pay several thousand dollars for a manufactured, self contained version that works on the same principle: biological solutions for biological problems. Biology: we'll all become much more conscious of it someday soon. One suggestion for those trapped in an apartment or house in the city or suburbs with no water to flush - there is no need to resort to tossing the poop or pee out the window and attracting attention, or goofing around with plastic bags. Back before flush toilets were everywhere an English clergyman invented what he called an "earth closet": forerunner to the composting toilet. Dry poop does not smell or attract flies. Before holing up in the urban retreat, gather several washtubs full of topsoil, the more the better. This is my interpretation of the principle he discovered, so I don't know how many you'll need. Spread it out in a dry place in the sun and allow the topsoil to dry out completely: crumbly dry. Then put it back in the tubs or buckets or whatever.

When using the waste disposal system, keep the pee separate. Pour it down the drain and plug the drain so the fumes don't come into the living space. Or put it in a plastic jug and pour it into a storm sewer.

Start with an empty tub or bucket, with a shallow layer of dry topsoil in the bottom. Deposit poop on the dry soil and cover completely with dry soil. When the container is full, start on the next. When the second is full, fill the third. When you have only one empty container left, the contents of the first should be composted at least partially. Earthworms will help, if you can gather the small red ones ahead of time.

You might want to make some kind of vent: cover the tub with plastic and run a hose out of the plastic to the window or the house sewer vent; cover the end of the hose with screen.

My two cents. Peace Arthur

-- as above (arthurmccaskey@(nospam)usa.net), March 10, 1999.

one quick suggestion for saving those plastic grocery bags... try old stockings or long socks. Cut off the closed end and shove the plastic bags into the sock. You can store them this way and then when needed all you have to do is hang it up and pull out a plastic bag from the bottom.

Mike ================================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), March 10, 1999.

The store manager cannot give me the empty bags like he does buckets which will be thrown out anyway. He cannot sell me empty bags because they have no bar card number and are not part of his sales inventory. I sure like the suggestion that Paul made however. I have to study it a bit more. At least I know I can get some bags at Sam's Club. Thank you all Bill in South Carolina

-- Bill Solorzano (notaclue@webtv.net), March 10, 1999.

Here's a link to a website detailing the nuts-and-bolts of humanure:

The Composting of Human Manure

Got peat moss?

-- sparks (wireless@home.com), March 10, 1999.

Bill, my folks are in S. Carolina Low Country...outside of Early Branch...know it?

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), March 10, 1999.

Consider kitty litter instead of dirt. It is already dry clay, and might handle the fluid problem, too. Though the better way is to use peat moss.

-- Chuck, a night driver (reinzoo@en.com), March 10, 1999.

Thank you all again. I have much to consider. I just loved Mr. Turdy. Donna: I have only lived here in Charleston for about a year. I have down town figured out. and I know where the best bars are. Early Branch is a new one for me, but I will look it up. Are you from around here?

Bill in south Carolina

-- Bill Solorzano (notaclue@webtv.net), March 10, 1999.

Bill, check yellow pages in your area under janitorial supplies, and they should be able to get you whatever size, gauge (thickness), and number of bags you desire, usually at a reasonable price.

If closeby, go by and look at samples, stretch to test breaking point, to make sure you get exactly what your after. Plus, your not dealing with a product you particularly want to split open all over the floor. Also, certain bags freeze quicker and split, if operating in a cold-weather environment so ask salesmen (Military glacier operations)

-- John (JBHager@webtv.net), March 10, 1999.

Costco sells them; they're called "T-shirt bags" or something like that and are stocked back by the huge, restaurant-sized boxes of stuff. (used to work @ 1)

-- sarah (qubr@aol.com), March 11, 1999.

I've always collected these plastic bags (great recycled item to line the little waste baskets in the bathrooms, put old items from refrig when cleaning it out in the bags, etc.)

Anyway, one way to save all of those plastic grocery bags would be to take an empty 2liter bottle of soda and cut a small size square on the side of the bottle. Then proceed to stuff the plastic bags in them, you can get as many as 20+ in the bottles.

Good Luck!

-- rkelley (rkelley@homecom.com), March 11, 1999.

For storing those bags -- take an empty kleenex box and stuff the bags in! Once the box is full it makes a great dispenser!

-- Libby Alexander (libbyalex@aol.com), March 12, 1999.

re: "Kitty Litter"

You can get the same stuff (without any scent) in the auto parts section of Sam's or at auto supply stores. It's called "Oil 'sorb" or something like that and is used in auto repair facilities to soak up oil and other fluid spills. The last 40# sack I bought cost me $3 and change.

-- Hardliner (searcher@internet.com), March 12, 1999.