From time to time The Sietch likes to highlight interesting companies that are shaking things up in the sustainable products world. I had the good fortune to check out the booth of Advanced Composting Systems at a recent green building conference. Later I exchanged emails with James Conner, the communications director for ACS, which manufactures the Phoenix Composting Toilet system.
The capacity of the Phoenix system depends on the size of the tank, the temperature of the compost pile, and the frequency and quality of maintenance. Warm tanks have a higher capacity than cold tanks. Our capacity ratings assume a minimum tank room temperature of 65F (18 C), our minimum recommended temperature. Below 55F (13 C), composting is very slow. The R-199 cabin model can be used continuously by two persons. The R-200 accommodates four full-time users. The R-201 accommodates eight full-time users. Model R-200 can be upgraded by adding a midsection. Model R-199 can be upgraded by adding a midsection and/or a 200 level top. Copyright 2007, Advanced Composting Systems, all rights reserved.
The Phoenix composting toilet factory and company headquarters is in Whitefish, Montana, in the northwestern corner of the state, not far from Glacier National Park. The founder and president (and factotum) of ACS is Glenn Nelson. ACS dates back to the early 1970s, getting its start manufacturing composting toilets for another manufacturer. In the mid-1980s, Glenn, who has a graduate degree in physics, designed a new and improved composting toilet, which he named the Phoenix, and began producing it. Phoenix is a family run business (like another composting toilet maker I met, this sort of thing must run in the family) both of his sons, Ried and Brent, work for ACS, with Ried working as the vice president for production and finance. In addition to a seasoned crew of carpenters, welders, and fabricators of small parts, the staff includes an electrical engineer and technical editor.
Continue reading Company Spotlight: Advanced Composting Systems