{"id":45424,"key":"Humanure","title":"Humanure","latest":{"id":1206954,"timestamp":"2025-11-27T21:12:24Z"},"content_model":"wikitext","license":{"url":"https://www.appropedia.org/Appropedia:Copyrights","title":"CC-BY-SA-4.0"},"source":"{{Topic notice}}\n\n'''Humanure''' is a term coined by Joseph Jenkins to discuss the composting of human [[feces]]. His ''The Humanure Handbook'' (1994) advocates the use of this organic [[soil]] amendment, provided certain safety precautions are followed.\n\nA summary of the method is as follows:\n\n* Use sawdust to bury manure. Sawdust provides carbon and this balances the nitrogen in the feces. A good carbon-nitrogen balance is needed for composting. The Sawdust also keeps bad smells in and keeps flies away.\n* Do not separate urine and feces, as the urine provides moisture the microorganisms need.\n* As well as adding the buckets from the toilet to the compost heap, throw on chunky materials like straw. This traps air pockets in the compost heap.\n* Optionally, skewer the compost heap with sticks or pipes to provide more aeration.\n* Let it sit for a year before using on plants\n\nHumanure is not traditional [[sewage]] that has been processed by sewage treatment facilities, which may include waste from industrial and other sources; rather, it is the combination of [[feces]] and [[urine]] with paper and additional [[carbon]] material. Humanure is also different from [[night soil]], which is raw human refuse spread on crops.\n\nFor for a discussion of the science and theory of composting toilets see [[Composting toilets]] for case studies and how-tos, see the [[:Category:Composting toilets]] pages.\n\n== External links ==\n\n* [http://www.weblife.org/humanure/ 'The Humanure Handbook'] (Webbook)\n* [http://humanurehandbook.com/ humanurehandbook.com]\n\n{{Page data\n| license = CC-BY-SA-3.0\n| keywords = Sanitation, composting\n| sdg = SDG12 Responsible consumption and production\n| description = Humanure turns waste into soil. Appropedia explains safe composting methods that support clean gardening and closed-loop systems.\n}}\n\n[[Category:Sanitation]]\n[[Category:Composting]]"}