New dry toilets installed

Probably those who passed through the Info Point of Ser Blanc in the Gran Bosco di Salbertrand Natural Park during the summer of 2026 will have noticed a charming little house located right at the beginning of the parking lot, in a point that is – moreover – quite panoramic, once spoiled by an unsightly plastic chemical toilet. And, presumably, someone may have even used it because it is a new and innovative model of dry public toilet that is highly ecological as it does not require the use of water, chemical additives, or electricity and produces waste that can be disposed of in the organic waste collection.

Starting from the current autumn, two more have been installed in the Parks of the Cozie Alps at the parking area at the junction for the Seytes hamlet in the Val Troncea Natural Park and at the Pinea equipped area in the Gran Bosco di Salbertrand Natural Park.

Why?

Talking about it may make some smile and others wrinkle their noses, but it can have a positive impact on the decorum of an area and, ultimately, also on its ecological balances. For a Park Authority, it is essential to provide its numerous visitors with a place to address urgent needs, as an alternative to meadows and woods where hygiene issues could arise not only concerning other human users but especially towards animals and plants that are protected in an area. Thanks to the funds from the Interreg Alcotra BiodivTourAlps Project aimed at reducing the impact generated by the tourist presence on the environment in protected areas, it was decided to purchase the three recently installed models, which combine ease of use, cleanliness (with the cooperation of all users), aesthetic appeal, and high ecological value. This also generates a resource savings for the administration of the Cozie Alps Parks because the new owned structures replace the chemical toilets that were previously rented.

But how do they work?

The peculiarity of these models is that they are fundamentally 0-impact. They are equipped with a chimney that activates a spontaneous air circulation producing a double benefit: the elimination of bad odors and the acceleration of the natural biological decomposition process of waste. Specifically, the liquid and solid components are separated in the tank of the structure where the air flow, through drying and evaporation, reduces the concentration of germs, toxins, and parasites while simultaneously activating the aerobic bacteria responsible for composting. In a short time, the Park Authority staff can proceed with the disposal of the residues which are considered equivalent to organic waste. The entire process takes place without the use of electricity, water, and, above all, without the synthetic additives commonly used in chemical toilets.