Reading my posts, one might get the impression that I am obsessed with poop... Well half right. I'm obsessed with disposing of our boat sewage in an environmentally responsible way. As I've said before, storing a tank of urine and poop together on the boat is neither clean, easy, nor pleasant smelling.
I've used peat moss and coconut coir. Odor has been minimal in both cases.
Both materials develop a somewhat musty smell... So, in search of the perfect solution however, I am trying some new material.
I bought some long fiber cellulose critter care pet bedding for $3.49 /6 liter (which expands to 16 liters) and "Reclaimed Natural Wood" Kitty Litter for $7.50 for 12.4 lbs / 5.6kg.
The kitty litter claims to be naturally antibacterial and to absorb 500% its weight. The bedding claims to absorb 2.5 times its weight.
To begin my experiment I added the natural wood fiber kitty litter to an equal amount of coconut coir. We'll see how this works.
Next I will try straight kitty litter.
Then 100% bedding
Then 50% kitty litter and 50% bedding.
I'll add to this post over the next few weeks/months to report my impressions and conclusions...
JK 5/26/15
6/11/15 I just emptied my pooper bucket and switched to 100% bedding. I didn't really like the smell of the wood fiber kitty litter, it could be the pine. It absorbed the poop smell and dried the poop, it just has a funky smell even with no poop in it. I'm going to try using it to absorb diesel or oil spills... or give it to someone with cats.
10/20/15 I've been using the Critter Care for a few months now. This stuff is made from shredded (recycled) paper and natural fiber and doesn't have any noticeable odor of it's own. It is so good at absorbing moisture, that after a while it absorbs moisture and odors in the air and puts off a funky smell. Not a problem if I empty the bucket often enough. It doesn't really desiccate the poo like I would have expected either.
I've been looking for a small bag of cedar chips, but having trouble finding it. I thought it was commonly used for landscaping? :-(
UPDATE --- 8/12/2016
I've settled into a routine and found the most convenient, easy to find, environmentally responsible (ie. made from recycled material) and relatively inexpensive material to be wood fiber kitty litter. Not necessarily endorsing it, but I use Okocat... I keep a 1.5 gal jug of Okocat on a shelf next to the head. After I poop, I pour a little litter in to cover the fresh deposit. We throw our TP in the head too. Once every week or two I empty the bucket into the secondary composing bucket described in an earlier post...
8/20/2019
I modified the 2016 formula slightly over a year ago... I mix a 1/2 brick of Coconut Coir with the wood kitty litter. Have to slightly dampen both and mix thoroughly before use. Works great, desiccates the poop and seems to minimize odors. We stopped dropping TP in the head... we now toss it in a waste can then burn the paper in the wood-stove.
10/20/15 I've been using the Critter Care for a few months now. This stuff is made from shredded (recycled) paper and natural fiber and doesn't have any noticeable odor of it's own. It is so good at absorbing moisture, that after a while it absorbs moisture and odors in the air and puts off a funky smell. Not a problem if I empty the bucket often enough. It doesn't really desiccate the poo like I would have expected either.
I've been looking for a small bag of cedar chips, but having trouble finding it. I thought it was commonly used for landscaping? :-(
UPDATE --- 8/12/2016
I've settled into a routine and found the most convenient, easy to find, environmentally responsible (ie. made from recycled material) and relatively inexpensive material to be wood fiber kitty litter. Not necessarily endorsing it, but I use Okocat... I keep a 1.5 gal jug of Okocat on a shelf next to the head. After I poop, I pour a little litter in to cover the fresh deposit. We throw our TP in the head too. Once every week or two I empty the bucket into the secondary composing bucket described in an earlier post...
8/20/2019
I modified the 2016 formula slightly over a year ago... I mix a 1/2 brick of Coconut Coir with the wood kitty litter. Have to slightly dampen both and mix thoroughly before use. Works great, desiccates the poop and seems to minimize odors. We stopped dropping TP in the head... we now toss it in a waste can then burn the paper in the wood-stove.
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