Agriculture
September 26, 2023
Updated on September 15, 2022
·Created on August 27, 2015
EkoLakay is an ecological toilet with a waste collection service.
The EkoLakay is a household ecological toilet. Under this social business model, households pay for EkoLakay toilet installation and a service plan which includes weekly waste collection by SOIL. Waste is brought to one of SOIL’s two composting waste treatment facilities and transformed from human waste into safe, organic, agricultural-grade compost.
Market Suggested Retail Price
$50.00
Distributors / Implementing Organizations
Manufacturing/Building Method
Both wooden and cement toilet models are manufactured locally.
Intellectural Property Type
Open Source
User Provision Model
Customers pay approximately $4-5 USD per month which covers toilet installation, carbon cover material, and weekly waste collection..
Distributions to Date Status
The Ekolakay serves an estimated ~4,000 people in Port-au-Prince and Cap Haïtian (as of March 2016).
Design Specifications
EkoLakay toilet specs: Height (with plastic seat): 21 in; Length: 20 in; Width: 15.75 in; Weight: 28 lbs Materials: local wood, imported plastic toilet seat, locally made plastic bucket and urine gallon (all materials are purchased locally). The toilet has a 5 gallon (19 liter) bucket that is changed out each time it is full. The waste treatment process involves transport to a composting waste treatment facility where the solid waste is covered with bagasse (a by product of sugar cane juice extraction). Over the next few days the temperature of the compost rises, effectively killing any viruses contained in the human waste. The waste is mixed with carbon matter and undergoes a rapid decomposition process for 6+ months until it is transformed into nutrient-rich agricultural compost.
Technical Support
Technical support is provided by the collection service providers.Interview with representative
Replacement Components
Replacement components are provided as part of the service contract.Interview with representative
Lifecycle
Service providers recover any toilets that are defective or at end-of-life and recycle and dispose of them appropriately.Interview with representative
Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters
Unknown
Vetted Performance Status
An independent study on SOIL's composting process found that the Haitian EcoSan composting process was effective in inactivating E. coli and Ascaris worms in latrine waste within sixteen weeks.
Safety
Waste handling requires protective clothing.
Complementary Technical Systems
Unknown
Academic Research and References
Tilmans, S. et al., Container-based sanitation: assessing costs and effectiveness of excreta management in Cap Haitien, Haiti. Environment and Urbanization, 2015. 27(1): p. 89-104
Berendes, K. Levy, et al Ascaris and Escherichia coli Inactivation in an Ecological Sanitation System in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. D. PLoS ONE 10(5): e0125336. **This study is one of the first to document efficacy of an ecological sanitation system under field conditions and provides insight into composting methods and monitoring for other international settings.
Designing the Next Generation of Sanitation Businesses, a report by Hystra. September 2014.
User perceptions of and willingness to pay for household container-based sanitation services: experience from Cap Haitien, Haiti. K. Russel, S. Tilmans, S. Kramer, R. Sklar, D. Tillias, and J. Davis. Environment and Urbanization. August 2015: 27(1): 1-15
Additionally, SOIL has published a variety of research, available here
Compliance with regulations
SOIL's waste transformation process exceeds the World Heath Organization’s standards for the thermophilic composting. See also
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