Comparison between sanitation alternatives
No.	Method1	Measure2		Rating3					Overall rating
1	In the open
		a	Protection of public health	1	2	3	4	5	23
		b	Degree of cleanliness	1	2	3	4	5
		c	Degree of comfort	1	2	3	4	5
		d	Money savings	1	2	3	4	5
		e	Energy savings	1	2	3	4	5
		f	Recycling of organic matter	1	2	3	4	5
		g	Maintenance-free	1	2	3	4	5
		h	Degree of privacy	1	2	3	4	5
2	Septic tank
		a	Protection of public health	1	2	3	4	5	24
		b	Degree of cleanliness	1	2	3	4	5
		c	Degree of comfort	1	2	3	4	5
		d	Money savings	1	2	3	4	5
		e	Energy savings	1	2	3	4	5
		f	Recycling of organic matter	1	2	3	4	5
		g	Maintenance-free	1	2	3	4	5
		h	Degree of privacy	1	2	3	4	5
3	Pit latrine
		a	Protection of public health	1	2	3	4	5	25
		b	Degree of cleanliness	1	2	3	4	5
		c	Degree of comfort	1	2	3	4	5
		d	Money savings	1	2	3	4	5
		e	Energy savings	1	2	3	4	5
		f	Recycling of organic matter	1	2	3	4	5
		g	Maintenance-free	1	2	3	4	5
		h	Degree of privacy	1	2	3	4	5
4	Conventional toilet
		a	Protection of public health	1	2	3	4	5	28
		b	Degree of cleanliness	1	2	3	4	5
		c	Degree of comfort	1	2	3	4	5
		d	Money savings	1	2	3	4	5
		e	Energy savings	1	2	3	4	5
		f	Recycling of organic matter	1	2	3	4	5
		g	Maintenance-free	1	2	3	4	5
		h	Degree of privacy	1	2	3	4	5
5	Dry ecological latrine4
		a	Protection of public health	1	2	3	4	5	32
		b	Degree of cleanliness	1	2	3	4	5
		c	Degree of comfort	1	2	3	4	5
		d	Money savings	1	2	3	4	5
		e	Energy savings	1	2	3	4	5
		f	Recycling of organic matter	1	2	3	4	5
		g	Maintenance-free	1	2	3	4	5
		h	Degree of privacy	1	2	3	4	5
1 According to the United Nations, 2.6 billion people in the world lack access to adequate sanitation. If they get a toilet, how are they going to pay for the sewage treatment? The alternative, a dry ecological latrine, does not pollute streams nor require expensive and energy-intensive sewage treatment. 2 Protection of public health implies minimization of disease-carrying vectors; degree of cleanliness implies minimization of odors; money savings implies low or minimal cost; energy savings implies little or no need for sewage treatment; recycling of organic matter implies efficient biodegradation of organic materials. 3 The rating 1 is lowest (worse); 2 is lower; 3 is average; 4 is higher; 5 is highest (best). 4 The dry ecological latrine (similar to the composting toilet) is recommended for use in rural and other areas where conventional sewage drainage and/or treatment facilities are either impractical or too expensive. The extensive use of dry ecological latrines will result in improved sanitation, better water quality of neighboring streams, and reduced global warming (if it saves fossil fuel consumption).

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