In sustainable living, innovative solutions to waste management have become increasingly pivotal. Among these is the Eco Let Separera Mini Urine Extraction toilet.
The attraction of this toilet is obvious.
It's sleek and looks modern in any setting. It's small with minimal venting requirements. And it extracts the urine into an external container of your choosing.
Those are all nice things to have, but how good is it on a day to day basis? What's it like to actually live with one in the real world?
When it comes to camping toilets, or toilets for tiny homes, there' a lot more than meets the eye.
This comprehensive review will delve into the specifics of the Eco Let Separera Mini Urine Extraction toilet, exploring its design, functionality, and overall performance to provide readers with a detailed understanding of its benefits and potential drawbacks.
Whether you are an eco-conscious consumer, a sustainable living enthusiast, or a curious reader, this review aims to provide you with a well-rounded perspective on this remarkable product.
What is the Eco Let Separera Mini?
The Eco Let Separera Mini is an innovative toilet system designed with ecological sustainability in mind.
It takes an alternative approach to waste management by giving users the option to just poop into the holding bucket (with a bag over it), or to transfer your poop into a composting system
So let's just dwell on the reality of those options for a moment.
Your poop goes into an open holding container (seen below) that is only hidden from view by the doors that cover it. It's still sitting there, untreated, marinating, and obviously still smelly.
When the 15 litres holding capacity is maxed, you have 15 litres of raw human poop to deal with.
That right there is enough to turn many shoppers off.
Yes, it's green, but in its entirety, is it acceptable based on your camping or off grid life goals?
The cool feature of this system is the extraction hose that whisks your urine into an external holding tank. That's novel, but it still doesn't avoid the fact that you then have to deal with that urine again as well.
In short, if you buy this toilet, just like those who own chemical toilets, you are going to be seeing a lot of your poo and your urine, as well as anyone who uses your toilet.
If you're hardcore committed to reducing your environmental footprint, particularly in off-grid locations, such as cabins, boats, or RVs, where traditional plumbing may not be feasible or desirable, this may suit you, but it's not for me.
All of that being said, the Eco Let Separera is made in Sweden and they make good stuff generally. However, if you look at photos of the toilet versus YouTube videos of people who review them, it does look fairly cheaply made. The plastics don't look super high-quality and some report them to be a little flimsy.
Watch this review and be the judge yourself. Notice the plastic moulding looks fairly cheaply made rather than sturdy.
Its compact size and lightweight construction make it a versatile option suitable for various settings, but I think there are some serious issues to consider before deciding on this toilet as your sanitary solution.
How Does Eco Let Separera Function?
As mentioned above, the Eco Let Separera Mini Urine Extraction toilet operates through a straightforward process that is like a fancy, semi-automated bag toilet.
It does give the option to manually move your poo into a composting system, involving microorganisms' breakdown of organic matter.
When you pee, your urine is immediately extracted into the liquid holding tank. This separation is achieved by a cleverly designed urine diverting bowl and auxiliary storage container, which ensures solid and liquid waste are separated.
If you do decide to compost your poo, the solid waste undergoes the process of aerobic decomposition, facilitated by the presence of air, moisture, and microorganisms. Please note, this is not part of this toilet - it's something you have to do separately.
Generally speaking, composting systems (which you'd have to buy at an additional cost) periodically mix compost pile with the solid waste to promote even composting process and accelerate the decomposition process. This manual mixing minimises the occurrence of unpleasant odours and helps maintain a balanced moisture level within the composting chamber.
An integrated fan aids in maintaining a necessary flow of air through the composting compost chamber, but as stated in the video above, it's loud and it also requires power.
How Does Eco Let Separera Compare With Other Competitors in the Market?
Compared to other toilets available, the Eco Let Separera has found some customers, but I think there are better green altrenatives than this toilet.
For example, the Nature's Head Toilet which we also reviewed on this site, feels like a much sturdier option and that toilet actually composts in the toilet itself so there' no double handling of poo if you want to be super eco-friendly.
That being said, the Nature's Head toilet has some real issues which you can read about in that review. In my mind though, it's a better toilet than this one. Stronger. Better designed. And still portable with a small footprint in your van, RV or tiny home.
It is at this point that I would encourage you to deeply consider what is ultimately important to you when dealing with human waste.
Is it environmental concerns or hygiene and ease-of-use and ongoing maintenance?
The former the a popular choice but the later is the practical reality of dealing with wee and poo!
While the DryFlush toilet that we sell isn't as environmentally friendly as these eco-toilets, they cannot be beaten for hygiene and ease-of-use.
Take a look at this short video of our toilet and then I'll mention the environmental things that may sway your view on that too.
Are DryFlush toilet environmentally friendly?
The environmental issue around our toilets are the bags. They are made of Mylar, the same stuff that 90% of your chocolate bars, nuts, chips and many other foods you consume are packaged with.
Mylar is unfortunately not bio-degradable, but there simply isn't another material that can replace it for sealing our foods and many other consumer items as effectively that is bio-degradable. When it comes to the food that our western world consumes, we still require this material.
The question to think about though is how big an issue is it contextually?
Here in Australia, council bins receive more than 2 Billion disposable nappies a year. All of them containing human poop and none of them biodegradable. The practical reality for millions of mums is that they need disposable nappies.
The amount of people who own (or will own) DryFlush toilets in Australia will only ever be a small fraction of the number of babies in Australia. Further to that, the physical mass of our bags are less than 1/10th of a nappy. So both the quantum of poo and the physical mass of the bags are minute compared to just the nappy market, let along the amount of mylar that consumers already use in food products they consume every day.
Generally speaking, the push back we get is just because people are not accustomed to thinking about poo and mylar in the same sentence, and they've never heard of this product before. Once they process it, and understand that they're already using the product, they get comfortable pretty quickly.
Installation Process of Eco Let Separera
Installing the Eco Let Separera is a relatively straightforward process that can be completed by the user, thereby reducing additional installation costs. Here are the steps to guide you through the process:
- Identify the Location: Choose a suitable location for your toilet. It needs to be a dry, ventilated space that provides access to a vent pipe outlet. Make sure the location is in line with local building regulations.
- Assemble the Unit: The Separera comes unassembled. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to assemble the unit, ensuring all parts are firmly connected.
- Install the Vent Pipe: The vent pipe is essential for aeration and odour management. Connect it to the unit and ensure it extends outside your building. It should ideally be higher than your roofline for efficient air movement.
- Secure the Unit: Fasten your toilet to the floor using the supplied brackets. This ensures stability and safety during use.
- Connect the Fan: The integrated fan needs a power source. Connect it to your electricity supply, using a solar panel if you’re in an off-grid setting.
- Prepare the Poo Chamber: Before use, make sure you put a bag in!
- Test the Unit: Finally, check all the connections and give your new toilet a test run to ensure everything is operating correctly.
Maintenance of the Eco Let Separera
Maintenance is critical to the Eco Let Separera's operation, ensuring optimal performance and longevity. Here are some key maintenance procedures:
- Regular Emptying of the poo bucket: Make sure you keep an eye on your poo! I know it sounds gross (it is), but the last thing you want is an overflowing poo bucket. It will smell terrible and be horrible to clean up.
- Empty the urine chambers: The liquid waste chamber must be emptied more frequently than the solid waste chamber. The frequency will depend on usage, but as a rule of thumb, empty the liquid chamber when it's two-thirds full and the solid waste chamber when it's half full.
- Cleaning: Clean the toilet bowl regularly to maintain hygiene. Use natural, non-chemical cleaning agents to prevent any damage to the composting process.
- Monitoring the Ventilation System: The ventilation system, including the fan and vent pipe, should be checked periodically to ensure uninterrupted airflow. Clear any obstructions and clean the fan blades if necessary.
- Annual Maintenance: Remove and clean the entire unit at least once a year if you have leaching pit in ground. This includes emptying and cleaning both waste chambers and checking the overall condition of the unit.
Regular maintenance, while straightforward, might be considered a disadvantage. This includes frequent emptying of the liquid chamber poo bin, tasks that most people find unpleasant.
Pricing of the Eco Let Separera Mini Urine Extraction Toilets
Like any powered toilets, the cost of the Eco Let Separera Mini Urine Extraction toilet is a significant initial investment. As of the writing of this review, the price in Australia ranges from approximately $1500 to $2000, depending on the retailer. This price includes the complete system - the toilet unit, vent pipe, fan, etc.
In my mind, there are better options on the market for those who want a green toilet. If you can get past being a super-green-camper, then I honestly believe that our toilet, sold right here on this website, is a MUCH better option. Cleaner, simpler, better made, and around the same price.
