Tiger Toilet

Target SDGs

Market Suggested Retail Price

$350.00

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Household

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

The original designer, Bear Valley Ventures, partnered with local organizations to distribute and install Tiger Toilets across India, including PriMove, Tata Foundation, and LIGGT. Currently the technology is developed and sold by EaSol Pvt Ltd.

Competitive Landscape

Direct competitors include Vermicomposting.

Countries

India, Uganda

Manufacturing/Building Method

The Tiger Toilet superstructures are constructed with concrete using a designed cast. The vermifiltration technology, consisting of tiger worms, bedding material and drainage material, are installed into a excavated pit (sized for the population of users). All materials can be sourced locally by the manufacturer and the users.

Intellectural Property Type

Trademark

User Provision Model

The manufacturer currently sells and installs Tiger Toilets across India in addition to providing support to monitor performance every 3-4 months.

Distributions to Date Status

Over 4500 toilets have been distributed by TBF Environmental Solutions.

Design Specifications

The Tiger Toilet system was designed to counter the problem of latrine filling through vermifiltration. This passive process degrades and recycles waste by integrating composting worms, bedding materials, and a drainage layer into a pit latrine. In this design, vermifiltration has resulted in 100% degredation of faecal solids, leaving 15% of the waste weight remaining in the pit in the form of vermi-compost. The optimal design produced with the Tiger Toilet results in an average COD removal of 87% and a 99% reduction in pathogens.

Product Schematics

Technical Support

Provided by the manufacturer.

Replacement Components

Replacement components for the toilet superstructure can be sourced locally. The biodigester pit does not include any moving parts thus minimizing the need for replacement components.

Lifecycle

The pit of a Tiger Toilet can operate for five years without requiring emptying.

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

The tiger toilet aims to reduce construction cost, eliminate energy input required for the self-regulating digestion ecosystem, and provide safer user operation because the handling of sludge is not required. There is less maintenance than traditional pit latrine, and no need to connect to a central sewer system.

Vetted Performance Status

The technology utilized in this product was shown to be feasible and that the presence of worms increased the faecal reduction rate.  Testing by Bear Valley Ventures has found that the worm-based digester can allow for household-scale pits to operate for five years without needing to be emptied because worms reduce solids by over 80%.

Safety

The Tiger Toilet system was designed to enable the safe removal of vermi-compost and to prevent the handling of undigested waste by humans. To ensure safety, users must be instructed to not handle the undigested waste immediately after it is deposited into the pit.

Complementary Technical Systems

The Tiger Toilet is mainly sold as both the toilet superstructure and the biodigester; however the vermifitration biodigester technology can be purchased independently and coupled with existing toilet technology and superstructures.

Academic Research and References

Compliance with regulations

Unknown

Evaluation methods

The Tiger Toilet system was evaluated based on environmental impact on digester worms, system configuration’s impact on effluent quality, and functionality during scaling. The treatment process utilized by this product underwent a feasibility assessment.

Other Information

The Tiger Toilet has received numerous awards.

List of frequently asked questions about the Tiger Toilet.

USAID - Report: Program review - Uganda

Susana Org: The Tiger Toilet which works with worms - like in-situ vermi-composting (field trials in India, Uganda and Burma) - Bear Valley Ventures Limited