Is human waste used in organic gardening?

15 comments

1. Dirk H…what do you mean by heavy metals???

2. China has been doing it for years in the Rice Fields. It repulses most people in USA, although I have known some that had a septic system to run the lateral lines under the garden. Cow manure is used, don’t see much difference in human waste.

3. Dirk is speaking of Milorganite & similar . It’s refined , dried sewage , from Milwaukee (at least originally ) . Sewage treatment concentrates heavy metals, which can be toxic, in quantity.

4. No. Human waste is too infectious to other human beings to be used in organic gardening. “Gray water,” such as water from washing clothing, can be used, but urine and feces are potential disease carriers.

5. Sludge from septic fields is sometimes used in farming.
   Not raw sewage, though. That would be a one way trip to e. coli city.

6. Orientals have been using it for centurys..they call it nite fertilizer..but just don’t complain about the carrots tasting pithy
   Some people want their food to be produced without use of chemicals.(Organic).What is more natural than cow or feedlot poop..That’s a big business all by itself..When you drive by a large feedlot in the country..some have thousands of cattle on feed..where do you think all that poop goes..it has to go back on the land, & thats Organic..

7. properly composted “humanure can be used in the garden” as has been for many years by us and the family . we have had the soil tested and found it NOT to have a high concentration of heavy metals .as we mainly eat local home grown organic produce .waterless sawdust toilets are not new . and properly used and maintained they are odorless and do not promote flies in the home.human waste is used in most asian countries but it is used untreated or composted and spread as “night soil” there is where the problems come from , as parasites cysts and diseases are harboured in fresh waste during the composting phase these are killed off the humanure compost pile can and usually reraches upward of 1100 F yes 1100F and that is enough to destroy all the nasties in the poop.

8. Yes–
   http://www.perc.ca/PEN/2001-02/s-mills2.html
   http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5394
   I hope it helps.

9. It’s controversial, but it can be. (It isn’t commercially I’m sure). The waste has to be composted for longer than ordinary kitchen waste to be safe.
   There’s a very informative book called ‘Humanure’ by a guy who does it himself, available online here:
   http://www.weblife.org/humanure/default.html

10. NO!!

11. No

12. Not allowed in USDA certified organic.

    Could be allowed in a private garden that is not certified organic but who’s grower considers organic but since they are not certified play by no regulations.

    Night soil has been used all over the world for millenia.

13. Yes. Where I live it is sold by the bag. It is from waste treatment facilities, and certifed as such.

14. OMG! NO!

15. milorganite is a good example of human waste as fertilizer
    but I hope they don’t use that to grow human food
    I can’t throw up fast enough if it is.

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