shark week: pads, tampons, cups, free bleeding, etc.

I remember seeing an episode of seinfeld where he was doing standup and talking about what he read on a box of detergent. His joke was that the detergent box was selling him on how well it got blood stains out - but he thought that anybody worried about blood stains had bigger problems than picking detergent.

On that note, I wish to take this moment to thank my penis for not pouring out a bunch of blood once a month.

It seems stupid that a guy should bring up this topic, but here i am. I searched this forum for "blood" and didn't see anything.

I have been asked several times on what to do with blood in the pooper here. And I have to confess that we do not yet have a good answer. So something needs to be figured out.

Step 1: What are all the known methods for women to deal with this?

A) disposable tampons

B) disposable pads

C) menstrual cups

D) re-usable pads

E) re-usable tampons

F) compostable pads (manufactured)

G) compostable pads (home grown: moss, grass, wool, etc.)

H) wad of TP (usually as a short term solution)

I) free bleeding (more trips for tidying)

Have I left anything out?

Currently, the poopers at wheaton labs are meeting a need. They are acceptable. And now it is time to upgrade them to be more appealing than what we find indoors. And this is one facet where, I must admit, I have not really taken the time to think it through. So now is the time.

So the question is: how to make processing this issue far more appealing in the pooper than in the house? And how to get optimal results?

Our "buckets" are about 30 gallons. We use urine diversion. I think blood and a little water in the buckets is okay. But I wouldn't want A or B in there. I suppose F is okay at this time. G is definitely okay. H is okay.

I like the idea that folks make lots of links to resources and articles on this topic. Here is one that I found today that I like.

To add to G: cat tail fluff.

Have I left anything out?

Corn cobs? I have read that they were commonly used at one point in history.

As a side note, the word "Tampon" is Spanish for "plug".

I'm a bit nervous of wading in here as I'm a 'three diapers a day' gal on day one of shark week.

I also use washable bed-pads for overnight leaks, and my latest discovery is period panties with a leak proof lining.

Of course, when washables are washed, it does get into the grey water, turning it into black water, so that's something else to be designed into the system.

Blood is fertilizer. Probably better to not divert it and compost it.

Everywhere but the US has little trash cans for them in all the restrooms. They seem to manage just fine.

Are there "organic" (no plastic) disposables? They should compost fine.

I've been throwing disposable tampons (ob brand) down our composting toilets for about 20 years, and at annual emptying time, I've never even seen a blue string. When we do the annual emptying (after a year of the stack standing unused, composting), we pull out a lot of plastic liners of pads from the zillions of girls who come through here, but the cotton is usually gone by then.

Personally I think the total amount of cotton for tampons and paper for TP is an acceptable amount of waste for two uses that I appreciate. I have used water for bum cleaning, and for menstruation (with a cup), but I don't use them at our campus because our grey water goes straight to the surface and besides, I like those disposable paper and cotton products, thank you very much! And they are perfectly good carbon for the compost.

It's personal and TMI, but I've never liked tampons. Except when I had such excessive flow that I had to double- and triple-up my protection just to sit through a two-hour meeting without bleeding through everything. Some times, that still didn't work. Ugh.

Thankfully, I don't have that problem now, and I really like using washable cloth. It's sooo much more comfortable to me than the paper things, it's generally more breathable, and I really, really like the idea of less waste.

At first, the washing and re-using seemed a bit time intensive, I will admit. Though now it's just the routine for that week of the month. I soak them in cold water in one of those really large yogurt tubs with a lid, and wash with a load of clothes each day. I keep the container under the sink out of sight. I try to never soak them more than a day, or else it gets funky. I don't always rinse them first because I usually change the water with each additional cloth, which acts as a mild rinse, and then I do a fairly thorough rinse of the lot before they go in the wash. Easy. It gets / keeps my laundry caught up!

No more money spent on disposables; no more boxes, wrappers, debris to deal with. To me, the upsides far out weight the minor downside of some extra wash.

Though now that Paul listed "free bleeding" that could be part of what I do and have done for years. I generally get a crampy, full feeling right before my flow flows. If I can make it to a facility, that flow can be put into the toilet (or pooper) instead of into my pad or cloth. I learned this out of desperation when my flow was excessive so that I wouldn't overflow all my protection and need a change of clothes. When I deposit most of the flow elsewhere, it makes washable cloth that much easier to manage and wash.

That's a really interesting article, Paul – thanks for posting it! Blood is such a precious, nutrient-rich resource – allowing it in the poopers or diverting it for special comosting use, seems like a great idea. I believe it is also a beautiful way for us all to reconnect with our part in the web of life.

Honestly, I think the menstrual cup would be the only one one that list that I would use as an alternative to regular tampons. I am really not sure how to go about cleaning it in a public restroom but I think something along the lines of having a water bottle always with me to rinse it out a little bit before I re-insert it could get the job done.

I am embarrassed to say though, that I absolutely know how terrible the whole disposable tampons and pads dealio is for the environment and for the whole compost toilet thing but I haven't quite made the transition yet. I was intrigued by the cloth pads, and thought about those for a minute but I don't know if I could trust them not to leak all over my clothes and I am super self-conscious about blood showing everywhere (no free bleeding for this gal), even though I know I shouldn't be because it is a natural thing that my body does.

But I guess growing up on a ranch in eastern Montana in which my family had the morals of an 1800's Victorian family has made me internalize some prudishness.. I sort of hate it though. I do wish that we didn't have to be so embarrassed about it. But, like, it's BLOOD. No one likes seeing blood, especially not out of something that has been extremely sexualized by our whole society. People get weird and embarrassed when their ideas of something (the vagina to be beautiful and sexy and clean) does not match up with what is actual reality..

ANYWAY, I like that we are talking about this for a lot of reasons even if the main one is practicality for your compost toilets Paul. Periods are weird and embarrassing for a lot of women and then don't have to be. I wish I wasn't so weird about them even. Maybe I will have less of a stigma about them as the years go on, I am still young. But for now I think the menstrual cup is my favorite.

I have known several women where they felt it was important to return this blood directly to the earth. They used old clothes that they cut into strips, absorbed the blood and would then immediately plant that into the earth.

If you ignore stuff about dogs, cats and whatnot trying to dig it up .... This sort of thing intrigues me. It's a bit like listening to music - I like the music even though I have no musical ability. When listening to music, I feel like a small, gray empty man watching a giant, beautiful artist weaving sounds and poetry in a way beyond my comprehension. It makes me realize that I need to live in community because there are things I wish to be around often, but I have no capacity to create myself. I don't have much personal capacity for "purple" but I do find that I like being around people with a bit of purple (Although there are some that are a bit too purple for me). So I like hearing about people who are "purple" to the point that they will bury a tablespoon of blood each day to have a better connection with the earth. By the standards of logic and reason, this act is nuts. But "purple" is supposed to be a bit of that which does not follow logic and reason.

I see three big pluses to burying a bit of blood:

1) if nothing else, such a woman clearly wants a connection with the earth. Maybe the earth is inanimate. Maybe it isn't. If nothing else, there are the microbes in the soil. And the plants will groove on it. But when I garden with good, rich soil, there is something I feel - something very good. Something that feels a bit like "closer to god" - and so I suspect that there is some of that feeling that such a woman has that I cannot have.

2) Now this monthly product is no longer a waste, or a burden (or a "curse"). It is a gift and an opportunity. It could be a source of joy instead of a source of shame.

3) Technically, these are nutrients which will feed plants and soil organisms. I would think a woman might develop a relationship with a favorite tree. Maybe a fruit bearing tree. And this tree would then bear a fruit which is sorta-kinda "made" from the woman.

If I were a woman, I doubt I would follow this path - much like how I don't play music. But I like the idea of sharing the dinner table with women that do follow this path. They feel a thing that I can only feel vicariously.

@ Rebecca -- Most commercial products in the US (OB included) contain bleached viscous rayon. Not quite synthetic, but not really healthy and definitely high processing resulting in much waste. I suppose products overseas could be make purely from cotton, since a lot of materials the US uses aren't in their international counterparts. Just food for thought.

When having to use tampons I try to use 7th Generation brand organic cotton.

But 99% of the time I use a Diva Cup.

I honestly don't know how I lived without it. It's zero waste. Has limited my cramping (how? i have no idea but it works for me!), and allows me to forget about my period for ~12 hours---and I used to use super absorbency tampons. My only hassle was that it comes with a gripper knob at the bottom of it for you to grab to pull out, but due to comfort, I had to remove/cut it off. It's left a weird tiny lip/form that requires extra cleaning but ah well.

You can learn to pull it out at the right angle so as not to spill or drip on you a drop. @ Cassie -- when in public bathrooms I bring a paper towel inside the stall with me, drop the contents in the toilet and gently wipe out the inside with toilet paper. Do a small toilet paper pad to keep me protected, wrap the cup in the paper towel and wash it (VERY carefully) in the sink. Totally not ideal, but the cup allows about twelve hours of protection so honestly I can plan that I rarely have to empty it in a public place. This obviously in a port-a-potty would be a nightmare.

I boil the cup to sterilize after every 2 cycles.

Cassie Langstraat wrote: I was intrigued by the cloth pads, and thought about those for a minute but I don't know if I could trust them not to leak all over my clothes

I have cloth pads with cloth inserts so I can adjust how much they absorb, but honestly, they have never bled all the way through. I was a little worried about not having a plastic waterproof layer--they are 100% cotton made from an old sweatshirt, and the inserts from an old towel--but having multiple layers works just fine for me, even with heavy flow. The only time they (occasionally) leak is at night--on my heaviest day/night, I sometimes have a problem getting them to catch the blood as I'm sleeping; I also had this problem with disposible pads too, though!

And I give the water in which I soak the pads to my houseplants.

(Ed. for clarity)

paul wheaton wrote:
3) Technically, these are nutrients which will feed plants and soil organisms. I would think a woman might develop a relationship with a favorite tree. Maybe a fruit bearing tree. And this tree would then bear a fruit which is sorta-kinda "made" from the woman.

I like the idea of that very much Paul. Can't say I have ever heard of anyone doing this before but it sure sounds nice in theory.



Jamie - thanks for the cleaning tips. I appreciate that a lot. What are the details in regards to sleeping in them? Do you do that? Or just use a cloth pad at night or something?

jamie frasca wrote:

But 99% of the time I use a Diva Cup.

I honestly don't know how I lived without it. It's zero waste. Has limited my cramping (how? i have no idea but it works for me!), and allows me to forget about my period for ~12 hours

My wife switched over to a a Diva Cup last year and asks herself every month why so many women are still using other equipment. From what I understand they're made of medical grade silicone (polymers + other elements), so you've still got the polymer non-renewable issue, but the tradeoff for better functionality, less tampon waste, and less washing up after stains sounds like a winning combination for this XY-chromasomer.

I used to use old flannelette cloth diapers, torn into squares of various sizes and folded into pads, and one panty liner. My flow could soak the cloth and never made it to the liner. One liner per month. Now I am sewing lanolized wool diaper soakers from my soft, felted, sweater stash for my new grandchild. I never understood "soakers" instead of plastic diaper covers and now I know why. "Soakers" don't soak up baby pee, they repel wetness so that the cotton diapers soak and the outside stays dry. Had I known this, I would have made a soaker for me. Instructions for lanolizing the wool so that moisture beads on it are on the internet. I started with searching "wool soaker pattern".
I wanted to return the nutrients my body shed to the earth when I menstruated. In winter, the house plants got a boost, in summer, the garlic. I'd pour the water I'd soaked the pads in prior to washing wherever I wanted. The cloth that I used is now composting.

there was a time (this is going back in to the history of the Hebrews) when the women, when they were (you know), would go to a communal tent (it was a red tent) and they'd hang out for a week bleeding and gossiping, ever notice when a bunch of women live together they all start (you know) at the same time? Soooo you could do something along those lines have a separate "pooper" for the ladies (since it's not practical for them all to live together in a red tent until they're finished... ) until you figure out what to do with all the... (you know)...

Galadriel wrote: I sometimes have a problem getting them to catch the blood as I'm sleeping

Galadriel, if you notice a pattern to the "leaks", since you sound like you're sewing them yourself, try sewing an extra pad or 'wings' or 'extra-long' for night use to try to allow for how you're sleeping. Gravity is at work, so if you figure out "where down is", you can accommodate for it. Alternatively, you can sew a cotton pad that fits the bed instead that's large enough to cover the area of concern - smaller to wash than a whole bed-sheet and mattress cover and less worry about leaving stains.

Another Diva cup devotee here. If I am in a public restroom, I dump into the toilet and just wipe it out with toilet paper. The silicone doesn't strike me as a good medium for bacterial growth (not like a tampon) so I'm not too worried about it.

Whenever I've had a patient with toxic shock syndrome, they've got a tampon that they left in for quite some time, maybe even forgot about (or went swimming in a lake and then left it in that night and the whole next day).

Anyway, you have to get over the ick factor, and you have to learn to insert it properly (tip: once you think it is in, rotate it to make sure, it should rotate pretty freely if it is covering the cervix correctly) but to have everything you need to deal with a period in a little fabric bag in your purse, with you at all times, is priceless. The diva cup can handle some pretty serious heavy flow, which is useful if you are older and your uterus is going a bit crazy.

Julia - do you sleep with the diva cup? Can you swim with it in?

I'm a cup gal and I love it. I also have some washable liners which I use overnight for the first few heavy days. Changing in a public restroom isn't an issue either. Just empty the cup, wipe it down with toilet paper and get it as clean as you can and reuse. The only issue I have found is that the blood tipped into the toilet doesn't always flush without a trace. If there is no brush I use a little more paper to catch the blood so as not to leave a mess for the next person. I sleep with mine in too although those first few days can be a little heavy so I have some cloth liners that I use for back up. I've never had a leak that went through both. On the occasion I've been caught out without my cup and I've had to use a tampon it's horrid! I would never willingly return to tampons or shop purchased pads.

Yes, you can sleep with a cup and yes you can swim with a cup. Jessie, you're right about the blood sometimes marking the toilet--it's very heavy and just sinks straight down.

If you aim for the very deepest part (of the toilet bowl) you're less likely to have a mark left behind (but if you still do there's nothing you can do about it!)

I love the sea sponges for reusable tampons. The thing is, you can't just wipe it out so if I were to use the pooper I'd need a sink.

That said, it's been about four and a half years since I've had a cycle. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are great for that

It seems to me that when trying to accommodate a woman's menses with the design of the pooper, you just need to establish what you're ok with ending up in your compost pile. For those that use tampons or liners, I would say only organic, 100% biodegradable materials can be put in the poo side, and for the ladies who use the menstrual cups, you can also dictate that those be emptied on the poo side, so you don't have to deal with a rinsing solution for the urine side. On that note, it would be nice to have a sink in the pooper itself for rinsing out reusable feminine products, like cups.

I myself in looking for a healthier option in menses care switched to a cup last year. There are all kinds of great reason to consider this option ladies-my main selling point is that it's actually linked to increased fertility, as it allows the body to clear itself out naturally, versus the 'plugging' nature of tampons. Lo and behold (and maybe it's not the cup, but still), we're now expecting our first baby Just something to think about. From one girl to another, I can't recommend this one enough.

* On a slightly unrelated note, ladies, scything makes a great prenatal workout

Destiny Hagest wrote:For those that use tampons or liners, I would say only organic, 100% biodegradable materials can be put in the poo side

That would be ideal, but in the real world, o.b. brand tampons decompose completely (i.e. they are 100% biodegradable) in a composting toilet in my experience though they are not organic. As do tampax brand tampons (do those still have a cardboard applicator available, or only the stupid plastic ones?). Most of the women coming to Paul's place come for probably only one cycle, so they have whatever they came with and won't have time to run out and buy something different in time.

For a realistic approach, with the urine separation system that I think they've got there at Paul's set up, I'd think what would work would be:
- Tampons and bloody paper down the pooper. They compost.
- Menstrual cups emptied in the pooper, rinsed in the pisser. The diluted blood is no worse in a greywater system than urine is. Both should be diluted and dealt with by rich living soil, and both should not be discharging on the surface in a popular area, so rinsed blood and urine should be treated the same.
- Reusable rinsable items can be rinsed in the pisser for the same reason.

I speak from experience.

I have had success with socks,
the single ones that are left over when your dryer eats one of the pair
you can stuff them with toilet paper and you can adjust the length for a custom fit.
they can be a little bulky, they work well at night.
I also have had success with natural sea sponges, they can be squeezed out on your favorite plant or in a container to be added to your compost
when rinsing out in a public washroom I had a woman express concern about my bleeding hand.
They can be bought at health food stores, look for denser firmer ones, they can also be customized.

I havent explored this much but the diva cup looks greatfor those who like tampons and are very hands-off.. and cloth orhomemade etc is gonna be us more purple-hinted.. and free flow for us able to not have "regular jobs" to worry about.

Personally i have PCOD and my cycle flows rarely and i refuse to go through the crazyness of the pill for more likely much more bad than good ending. So somewhat luckily i havent had many cycles to try new things.

But i definitely think diva cup looks great myself. Though the whole tampon deal irks me to feel like a stuffed sausage so i am leaning towards sewing some cloth washables. Its on the to-do list.

Do we have links to the different sites yet? Like seventh generation, diva cup, articles/patterns for washable pads, etc?

Oh and someone asked before, yes last i know of there is stillthe horrid cardboard applicators, at least for cheap/offbrand tampons.
((Lol not a fan, personally. Compostable, good... but to use, eeek!))

My wife wrote an article on our blog about using sea sponges as tampons. Seems to me that it works good, and she likes it. http://www.dandeliondreamspermaculture.com/an-awkward-topic/

An interesting side note:

My Anishinabek (AKA Ojibwe, Chippewa or Nish) teachers talk a lot about a woman's moon time. This is when a woman's spiritual powers are at their peak. Much of Nish spirituality is centered around the miracle of a woman giving birth and how this connects us to the great cosmic oneness. The most powerful and honoured ceremony in Nish culture is childbirth, followed by menstruation.

Traditionally, women spent their moon time in a moon lodge, away from the regular home and family.They were considered to be "in ceremony" for the entire time of menstruation. Here they spent their time in prayer, singing/drumming and of course talking with the other women there. Food was brought to them and served on special plates that were not used for other purposes.

In fact, a woman on her moon was ( and in traditional settings still is) not allowed to cook for others or even touch their food, as it is potentially dangerous (especially for men) to eat food imbued with such power. In a similar vein, women on their moon do not go into a mixed male and female sweat lodge because their power is so great it could burn and harm the men.

The sweat lodge hut is itself a symbolic uterus which is crawled into through a vagina/doorway. When one exits after the ceremony, one is reborn.

Traditional women wear skirts as opposed to pants for several reasons. One important reason is so that their vaginas are enclosed in a circle of protection ( a cone of power). Ladies in Nish culture must be very careful where they point the stream of energy constantly coming from their vaginas.

This can be used for the community's benefit, as when the "grandmothers " (post menopausal women) ceremonially sit in a circle and "charge up" sacred items or people preparing for an important event, etc. It can also harm men, especially young men, if it is accidentally aimed at them, so great care must be taken to prevent this.

I hope this is not too purple a topic for this thread. I offer this information as a reminder of alternative attitudes toward menstruation. I am in favour of bringing back the moon lodge - it sounds like a wonderful retreat time. Short of that, at least making the pooper a bit more bleeding woman friendly with clearly written signage about what should be placed in which hole and a jug of water for rinsing would be great.

I'm not a tampon consumer, and we need instructions for residents and guests on which tampons are compostable and which are not.

What brands or other criteria would you suggest? I imagine some strings are not cotton, for example (nylon, or with dyes?).

So, I imagine if you're sitting in the pooper, without your box of tampons with you, you might not recall the name. I'm thinking actual pictures of the acceptable brands' boxes might help.

For people coming to stay at our campus (with composting toilets) I recommend they bring any brand of tampons without plastic "applicators." In the US, o.b. is the brand of those most commonly available, eg in CVS. I know o.b. tampons fully compost in a composting toilet situation, even a less than ideal one. In natural food stores, other brands such as organic cotton Natracare are available and those are compostable too, but of course only the ones with no applicator, or with a biodegradable cardboard applicator.

I believe that tampons would normally have a cotton string, since we all know the advice to use underpants with a cotton crotch, and I hope that tampon manufacturers follow that advice with the string. Well, hope.

Anyway, o.b. and Natracare tampons do fully decompose, and do not have much plastic packaging. o.b. does have a dyed blue string but personally I'm not concerned about such a tiny volume.

Rebecca Norman wrote:For people coming to stay at our campus (with composting toilets) I recommend they bring any brand of tampons without plastic "applicators." In the US, o.b. is the brand of those most commonly available, eg in CVS. I know o.b. tampons fully compost in a composting toilet situation, even a less than ideal one. In natural food stores, other brands such as organic cotton Natracare are available and those are compostable too, but of course only the ones with no applicator, or with a biodegradable cardboard applicator.

I believe that tampons would normally have a cotton string, since we all know the advice to use underpants with a cotton crotch, and I hope that tampon manufacturers follow that advice with the string. Well, hope.

Anyway, o.b. and Natracare tampons do fully decompose, and do not have much plastic packaging. o.b. does have a dyed blue string but personally I'm not concerned about such a tiny volume.

Great feedback, Rebecca. Thank you. Exactly what I was hoping for.

From the o.b. website, I found this:

o.b.® tampons are made of two types of rayon and a polyester string.

Even if it composts, I don't know that we want rayon and polyester as part of the organic matter. Hopefully Paul will chime in on that.

From the Natracare tampons page I found this (for the tampons with a cardboard applicator - they are also available without):

The Natracare smooth, easy glide cardboard applicator helps with the insertion of the tampon. The material used to make this biodegradable applicator tube is totally chlorine-free. The organic cotton wadding of the Natracare applicator tampon is designed to expand lengthways, elongating as the menstrual flow is gently absorbed. The organic cotton withdrawal cord allows you to easily remove the tampon after use. Both the applicator and the tampon are fully biodegradable.

Natracare goes on to explain that most tampons are made with rayon (read more about rayon and its manufacture at Wikipedia), which can be more absorbent, in a smaller size/volume, than cotton.

You may want to buy some all-natural tampons from Azure Standard, and then re-sell them to visitors for use on the land if they didn't pack an acceptable brand. Maybe you could find an old tampon dispenser on Craigslist--it could go right in the pooper, with a sign explaining what types are acceptable. Unacceptable tampons could go into municipal "trash."

interesting thread.

i am certainly purple enough to appreciate the approach of feeding one's blood back to the earth.

when i am on the rag, i am literally on the rag !
afterwards i do wash them and then pour the water out into the ground. it is a bit like was mentioned, but not all that ceramonially, i generally just search for a spot that looks like it is in need of a bit of extra fertility and pour out the washing water there.

also have done the unmatched sock thing, theres a way you can wrap them and fold it into itself that works pretty well...my rag stash includes many holy socks.

another thing possibly worth mentioning, usnea makes a good natural pad.

this thread makes me glad for my light periods. I have never liked using menstrual cups. they are uncomfortable for me. i use cloth, i soak it then pour that water to my plants. i wash the rags in the laundry and the water goes to the gray water part of my garden. currently i have no food plants there, i just grow easy perennial compost plants mostly horsetail. i give the soaking water to my fruit trees. to me it seems like having some compostable products available in the bathroom with a jar or container to put some money in to help pay for them seems like the best solution and perhaps if enough people visit who would be interested in other options offer to sell cloth pads and menstrual cups as well?

I'm really enjoying everyone's comments and experiences with managing their moon time.

So far, I think Paul would be okay with the organic cotton Seventh Generation and Natracare tampons (those are Amazon affiliate links thanks to kadence's suggestion) going into the pooper cans.





My favorite cloth is cotton bandanas (another affiliate link).



I do have a few Party in my Pants pads (admit it, the name is just fun!) and I've also heard of Glad Rags (again affiliate links), though I think DIY patterns if folks would like to sew these would be even better.



The upside to the bandanas is they are easier to rinse and wash and they dry out quickly. The upside to the Party in My Pants pads is they offer a leak proof liner on the back, so I'm safer on those heavier days with less bathroom access.

I can't imagine we'll be providing feminine products for a fee at this time, but we might put some spare disposable products in the pooper for the occasional visitor who forgets to bring her own.

I have something like the bandanas but it is just squares of flannel. I like the softness of the flannel they are easy to wash and dry fast though. also the fabric seems less bunchy than some other types of fabric I have tried.

I've made a rough draft of some signs for the Wheelie-Bin Poopers. Now is the time to amend the instructions for maximum effect. The main, short points are intended to be very big and underlined, with the explanations in smaller type.

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Wheelie-Bin Poopers!
We want you to have an enjoyable experience here, so we have provided some useful tips and background for your information.
_Pee Outside_
Our pee is a precious resource, one that is basically sterile and safe, which is why we pee on the compost pile whenever possible. This is also why we use urine diverters--instead of our pee making the bins into a smelly mess, we can use pee to help create the hot water for our showers. If a small amount of pee gets in the bin, it isn't a problem, but since pee is a perfect nutrient for most plants, we can sprinkle it just about anywhere else and do more good with it.
_Sprinkle Sawdust Sparingly_
A small amount of sawdust is sprinkled to cover our toilet paper and poo, protect it from flies, reduce smell, and absorb any stray liquid. We have supplied the toilets with a 1/2 cup scoop, which is the equivalent of a small handful of sawdust. This is plenty--too much sawdust mummifies the poops! Also, please try to avoid getting sawdust in the urine diverters.
_Close the lids/flaps_
These bins are equipped with fly catchers, so no bugs who have had access to poo can have access to us. In order for the system to have proper airflow, which controls the FLIES and the SMELL, the toilet lids and the outside wheelie-bin flaps must be closed whenever they are not in use.

What happens to the Wheelie-Bins?
There are several options:
-The bins can be sealed for a minimum of 2 years, after which the resultant mass can be placed on hungry nutrient-loving plants or trees like cottonwoods (aka poop beasts).
-The bin can have bacteria added that boost decomposition, which results in a mass approximately 1/20th of the original size. This means the bins can then go back in the system to be re-used.
-The bins can have black soldier fly larva added, which digest the poo and remain trapped inside until the mass is reduced.





Special Instructions for using Wheelie-Bin Poopers during the Shark Week visit by Aunt Flo from Redbrook:
This facility has been equipped with a sink to facilitate cleanliness and female convenience.
-For those of us who use menstrual cups, Congratulations! The process is easy--we empty our cups into the bin, and we can use the provided spray bottles to spritz the relevant body parts if needed. Small amounts of blood and water are acceptable in the bins. (picture of menstrual cup with smiley face)
-For those of us who use re-usable pads, sponges or tampons, Congratulations! We can use the sink to rinse them and re-apply if necessary. (pictures of re-usable products with smiley face)
-For those of us who use disposable pads or tampons, there are a few that are acceptable to put in the bin. Natural options that are acceptable in the bins are grass, moss, cat tail fluff and wool. Of the commercially available options, the acceptable ones are specifically labeled as biodegradable and compostable, like the Seventh Generation and Nutracare brands. Please do not put other feminine products in the toilet. We have a garbage can provided for these items. (pictures of compostables with smiley face, pictures of non-compostables with big, ugly crosses)

Sounds pretty clear and concise to me. Nice!