Everything you want to know about composting toilets.

A composting toilet uses natural biological processes — aerobic decomposition — to break down human waste into safe, stable compost. Instead of flushing waste away with water, the toilet separates liquids from solids at the point of use. Solids are mixed with a carbon-rich bulking agent like coco coir, which prevents odor and kickstarts decomposition. Bacteria and microorganisms do the rest.

Virro toilets use a drum-based composting system: waste falls into a rotating drum that maintains the right moisture and aeration balance automatically.

No — when functioning correctly, a composting toilet produces no odor inside the bathroom. The key is source separation: Virro toilets divert urine away from solid waste before mixing occurs. Urine mixed with feces creates ammonia, which is the primary source of toilet smell. Separate them and the chemistry that causes odor never happens.

A small 12V aeration fan draws any trace air through the compost chamber and outside, maintaining slight negative pressure in the bowl.

Source separation means keeping urine and feces apart from the moment of use — before they mix. This is the single most important factor in composting toilet performance. When combined, urea breaks down into ammonia, which kills the microorganisms needed for composting and creates strong odor. Separate them and solid waste composts cleanly while urine can be collected as fertilizer.

Once fully composted, the material is earthy, stable, and largely odor-free. You can add it to a traditional compost pile for further curing or, where local regulations allow, use it as a soil amendment around trees, ornamental plants, and other non-edible landscaping.

With Renew, you’ll typically empty the finished compost about once every 45 days, and the process takes around 15 minutes.

Carbon Cover is 100% coco coir, a natural material made from processed coconut husks. In the Renew system, it adds the carbon and structure needed to support the composting process while helping manage moisture and odor.

Virro Carbon Cover uses high-quality coco coir that is washed, buffered, and pH-stabilized for consistency.

Think of Carbon Cover as the dry, carbon-rich material that keeps the composting environment balanced and working the way it should.

Yes. Microbial activity slows below 10°C (50°F) but for indoor installations above this temperature most Virro systems work year-round. The Vault is cold-rated to −20°F for outdoor remote installations. For the Renew in very cold off-grid spaces, a small heat source near the compost chamber is recommended in winter.

Instead of treating a composting toilet like a waste container you happen to sit on, Renew is designed around the entire ownership experience — from installation and everyday use to mixing, maintenance, and removing finished compost. The goal is simple: make a waterless toilet that’s easier to live with every day.

The Renew is Virro's residential composting toilet — designed for homesteads, residential homes, cabins, RVs, vans, boats, and anywhere off-grid or water-conscious living matters. It has the footprint and seat height of a standard toilet, installs in any bathroom space, and requires no plumbing or sewer connection.
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Locale is Virro's mobile, self-contained composting restroom unit — the same footprint as a porta-potty but with zero pump-outs, zero odor, and zero chemicals. Designed for events, parks, trailheads, and construction sites. Locale can also retrofit into existing standard porta-potty chassis using the Virro retrofit kit, converting your fleet without replacing every unit.

Vault is a permanent, below-grade composting vault system — a gravity-feed hopper installed inside an outhouse, vault enclosure, or restroom structure. Waste falls by gravity into the composting chamber below. No pumps, no chemicals, no pump-out services. A direct drop-in replacement for Clivus Multrum and legacy vault systems. Cold-rated to −20°F with annual service only.

The Charge is Virro's premium all-in-one composting toilet — launching Spring 2027. It integrates advanced urine processing, full app connectivity, and a commercial-grade drum system designed for high-use environments. The Charge will serve as the base model for most commercial applications and is engineered to handle the demands of hospitality, remote lodges, and high-traffic facilities. Join the early access list →

Virro Waypoint, a community-sourced map of RV dump stations and composting drop-off locations across North America. Available on iOS and Android.
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Renew — residential. Compact composting toilet for homes, cabins, and RVs. Installs where a standard toilet would go.

Locale — mobile commercial. Self-contained portable unit replacing porta-potties. Deploys at events, parks, and construction sites. Can retrofit existing chassis. No hookups required.

Vault — permanent commercial infrastructure. Below-grade gravity-feed hopper inside an outhouse or vault structure. Replaces Clivus Multrum and legacy systems. Does not move. Annual service only.

Charge (Coming Spring 2027) — premium high-use commercial. Virro's most advanced system with integrated urine processing and full app connectivity. Designed for hospitality, lodges, and high-traffic commercial facilities.

The Renew. Its compact footprint (19.5 × 16.5 in, 20.5 in seat height) fits standard bathroom spaces. No plumbing, no water hookup, no black tank.
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For indoor cabin bathrooms, the Renew — it installs anywhere a standard toilet sits and needs only a 12V power source for the vent fan. For outhouse-style setups or high-capacity needs, the Vault — installed below grade, handles 5,000+ uses per year with one annual service visit.

The Locale — it occupies the same footprint as a standard porta-potty, deploys in under 30 minutes, and requires no pump-outs, no chemicals, and no water hookup. Locale can also retrofit directly into existing PolyJohn, Satellite Tufway, and Five Peaks chassis using the Virro retrofit kit, so you can convert your existing fleet without replacing every unit.

The Charge (coming Spring 2027) is being engineered specifically for this — high-traffic lodges, hospitality venues, remote resorts, and any facility that needs commercial-grade capacity with integrated urine processing and full monitoring. For permanent outhouse or below-grade installations, the Vault handles 5,000+ uses per year now. Contact us to discuss your specific requirements.

No. Virro toilets do not connect to any plumbing, water supply, or sewer line.

The Renew has a footprint of 19.5 ×16.5 inches and a seat height of 20.5 inches — comparable to a standard elongated toilet.

The ventilation fan runs on 12V DC — standard household wiring, a 12V solar system, or a lithium battery. Power draw is approximately 1–3 watts continuous. The composting process itself requires no electricity.

Odor inside almost always has one of three causes:

1. The vent fan is off or not working. Check that the fan is running and the vent pipe has no obstructions.

2. The urine diverter is misaligned. If urine reaches the drum it creates ammonia. Check that the diverter sits correctly and the liquid drain is clear.

3. The drum is too wet. Add a generous amount of coco coir and rotate the drum several times.

Urine is mixing with solid waste. Check your urine diverter for blockage or misalignment. Add a full coir charge to the drum and rotate several times to rebalance the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. The drum typically recovers within 1–2 weeks of normal use once the diverter is functioning correctly.

Empty when the drum is approximately two-thirds full or rotation becomes difficult. For a 2-person household this is typically every 3–6 months. The compost should look like dark, crumbly soil.

A standard flush toilet uses 1.6–3 gallons per flush, 5–6 times per day per person — up to 18 gallons of treated drinking-quality water used to transport waste, daily. Switching to a Virro toilet eliminates that entirely. A household of two saves approximately 13,000 gallons of water per year.

PeeCycling is the process of collecting and concentrating human urine into a nitrogen-dense liquid fertilizer. Urine contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in plant-available forms. Through reverse osmosis — the same technology used to desalinate seawater — urine can be concentrated into a shelf-stable NPK fertilizer. Virro partners with the UCT Future Water Institute and PeeCycling to close this loop for commercial operators.

Residential composters in most US states can legally apply finished compost to their own land and gardens. Commercial sale requires meeting Class A pathogen reduction standards. Virro's commercial pilot program connects partners to local compost buyers and handles the offtake logistics.

The Renew comes with a 3-year structural warranty and a 3-year warranty on electrical components. Commercial Locale and Vault systems include a 5-year structural warranty with a service agreement option.

30-day return window for Renew units in original condition. If you have installed and used the unit, we offer a satisfaction guarantee and will work with you directly to resolve any issues before processing a return. Most problems are solved without a return. We do not want used toilets shipped back to us.

Renew ships within 3-5 business days from our Ohio warehouse. Estimated delivery 3–8 business days. Free standard shipping on orders over $100.

Currently shipping within the continental US and Canada. International shipping for select markets is in development — contact us directly if you are outside North America.