When nature calls: why the toilet passage could change outdoors
When nature calls: why the toilet passage could change outdoors
According to a new study, buried waste may no longer be the most sustainable way of going to the toilet outdoors
The number of people who use public land in the United States has been increasing steadily for years. The pandemic accelerated the trend when Lockdown-tired Americans flocked to the outside area in record numbers. The visitor increase meant that several parks and sights introduced reservation systems in order to counteract the unsustainable increase in visitor numbers.
From 2019 to 2021, a study showed that there was an increase of 8.1 million hikers in the United States and 7.9 million campers. In 2021, the National Park System (NPS) announced that 44 US national parks had set up new records for leisure visits this year. The numbers throughout the NPs are expected to continue to increase in 2022 if international visitors return. The United Kingdom also came across similar problems in its national parks and natural beauties.
alt = “hiker on Angels landing”> apinben4289/Shutterstock trails are always lively
Of course, the climb of hikers and campers led to the people outdoors go to the toilet. Therefore, land administrators and scientists discuss whether it is time to change the way we poop in the forest.
what's wrong in the old way?
For generations, outdoor enthusiasts have been taught to follow the advice of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and to bury their waste in holes (known as Catholes), which are about 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 inches) and about 70 steps away from all water sources.
You claim that this is the best way to avoid water pollution, minimizing the spread of diseases, reducing the likelihood that someone else finds it and accelerating the decomposition rate. Books were even written on this topic.
However,Catholes are not particularly good at reducing human faeces. Regardless of how deep the faeces are buried or in what type of earth they are buried, high concentrations of pathogens can remain in the ground over a year. In contrast to animal waste, human waste (due to our modern nutrition and the use of medication) can contain all types of parasites, diseases and bacteria such as E.Coli and Salmonella as well as heavy metals that can easily contaminate all waterways and ecosystems.
Predrag Milosavljevic/Shutterstock The outdoor toilet can change soon
Lara Jacobs, doctoral student for forest ecosystems and society at Oregon State University, argues that most people do not know that the use of kathranging water catchment areas, floors and animals -including people -can harm.
"We were taught for years to dig a hole and bury faeces," says Jacobs. "However, this is in contrast to scientific literature, which shows that bacteria survive in large amounts over the seasons and the depth of burial does not seem to play. The best approach is not to bury their faeces, unless they plan to invest a lot of work.
There are several reports and accounts that support Jacob's claims. A study by the San Juan River, which flows through Colorado, New Mexico and Utah and is popular with river runners, showed that the concentrations of E. coli, which are associated with human feces, were almost 12 times higher than normal.
A study published in 2007 on 55 California beaches showed that 91 % of the beaches were contaminated with "fecal indicator bacteria". Another report in Alabama and Rhode Island also found that several beaches were wearing faecal indicator organisms and pathogens. In addition, beach visitors who played in the sand more often suffered from gastrointestinal diseases than those who do not provide sand contact.
In view of the unstoppable increase in outdoor leisure athletes, there is an argument that Catholes will simply not be sufficient in the future.
Enter the WAG bag
Waste avoidance and gel or gel papers (WAG) are pussy-resistant, double-layer bags, which are equipped with a solid developed by NASA (sometimes also known as "poo powder") in order to hide and contain smells in the bag. Traditionally, they were used with camping toilets, but can be easily put on the ground and used by crouching about it. The waste is then packed twice, sealed on the inside.
WAG bags were originally developed for use in sensitive ecosystems such as deserts and rocky environments, in which human excretions are not easily biodegradable, or in river corridors in which there is a risk that water sources are contaminated. However, they are becoming more and more common because several public countries have already introduced WAG bag systems to encourage visitors to carry their waste from the park or from the mountain or path.
Corlaffra/Shutterstock Katroas do not work in deserts or rocky environments
Visitors to the Bear Ears National Monument in Utah can now pick up free WAG bags in the visitor center. The Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado also offers wagon bags from "Poop Bag Dispensers" in its approval office and at the starting points in the entire park.
Likewise, overnight campers on the Guadalupe Peak Wilderness Campground in Texas have to carry at least one wagon bag per person for the duration of their trip. In addition, before the approval is issued, the camper must prove that it has the required number of bags. Finally, the California Mount Whitney has been using hikers to use WAG bags since 2006 and report that the users of the hiking trail are packing up to 3,600 kg (8,000 LB) of human waste.
It seems that WAG bags become common practice for environments that are severely affected by human traffic. And with increasing number of visitors on public land, there will be more and more used, highly frequented areas that require a sustainable sanitary solution. So don't be surprised if you see more outdoor areas that instruct the visitors to use wagon bags and carry their waste.
From a personal perspective, I have no problem disposing of my own garbage and would encourage others to do the same. However, I wonder how long it will take for people to stick to it. That means when I grew up, nobody cleaned up behind his dog. Nowadays, the use of dog decorative bags has effectively become part of the dog counting culture. It is encouraging to see how the majority of people have changed their behavior.
It is also worth mentioning that WAG bags currently claim to be "landfilled", in contrast to dog decorative bags, do not seem to be biodegradable or fully compostable. The words are missing from online sellers here, here and here noticeably. I was able to confirm that the bags are made from a "proprietary mix of polymers and natural strengths". The starch is supposedly added so that they are broken down faster under landfill conditions.
Most polymers are not biodegradable. This means that microorganisms cannot break down so that you can lead to waste problems with improper disposal and can survive for many years.
I wonder if WAG bags solve a problem by reinforcing an existing? If the use of WAG bags becomes more common, it is hoped that biodegradable and compostable options would become of course and quickly become a market standard.
How to go to the toilet outdoors
traditional method
The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics currently advises that, apart from sensitive ecosystems such as deserts or river corridors, the best practice for going outdoors outdoors is to bury waste in a cat hole.
WAG bag method
WAG bags usually contain toilet paper, hand disinfectant and a double-layer bag with chemical crystals that make human excretions inert and minimize the smell. The idea is to empty directly into the inner bag and then seal it in the outer bag.
Pro tip: Reviewers have indicated that WAG bags are not delivered with sufficient toilet paper, so take a little more with.
main picture: Irving Sandoval/Shutterstock
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