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 actively aerated and 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 drum with internal mixing rods that maintain the right conditions for hot aerobic composting.

No — when functioning correctly, a composting toilet produces no odor inside the bathroom. The keys are source separation, active composting and a HEPA filter on the exhaust.

Virro toilets divert urine away from solid waste before mixing occurs. Urine mixed with feces accelerates ammonia, methane and other gases which are the primary sources of odors. Separate liquids and solids and the chemistry that causes odor is dramatically reduced.

A small 12V ventilation fan moves fresh air into the compost chamber and out through a HEPA filter, 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 faster into ammonia, which suppresses the microorganisms needed for composting and creates strong odor. Separate them and solid waste composts cleanly while urine can be collected and stabilized as fertilizer.

Compost from a Virro toilet may require additional composting time and several weeks of curing before it becomes stable, humus-like, and odorless. Use it as a soil amendment for non-edible plants, trees and shrubs or — depending on local regulations — apply it to farm land. Most Renew users empty the drum and re-load it with fresh coco coir about once per month. The process takes about 5 minutes.

Coco coir is a natural fiber made from coconut husks. In composting toilets it serves as the carbon-rich bulking agent that absorbs moisture, controls odor, and provides the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio that microorganisms need to compost efficiently. Think of it as the soil in a compost pile.

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

Many composting toilets try to separate liquids and solids, but many still have major design flaws — leaks, mixing, odor, small openings, uncomfortable bowls, and poor agitation.

Virro redefines the composting toilet experience with true urine diversion, a comfortable toilet bowl design, and proper agitation and aeration to accelerate the process. The Virro app also supports life on the road by helping users plan trips and find resources like dump stations, fresh water, and composting drop-offs.

Instead of feeling like a compromise, Virro is designed to look good, feel natural to use, and perform reliably in RVs, vans, tiny homes, cabins, boats, public facilities and porta-potties.

Renew is Virro’s residential composting toilet, built for homes, cabins, RVs, vans, boats, and off-grid or water-conscious spaces. It is a waterless, urine-diverting composting toilet with the footprint and seat height of a standard toilet, so it feels more like a real bathroom fixture than a typical camping or portable toilet.

Renew requires no plumbing or sewer connection and is designed to install in almost any bathroom space. It uses a smart drain system for urine diversion and stabilization, and manual agitation through an easy-turn handle to help begin breaking down solid waste properly.

Active aeration maintains proper oxygen levels for composting, and a HEPA filter on the exhaust ensures an odor-free restroom.

Locale is Virro's porta-potty retrofit kit for events, parks, trailheads, and construction sites. Elevate your client's experience with an odor-free porta-potty while eliminating the cost of pump-outs and disposal.

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 pump-outs, no chemicals, no odors. A direct drop-in replacement for Clivus Multrum and legacy vault systems.

The Charge is Virro's premium all electric 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 →

The Virro Waypoint app is a community-sourced map of RV dump stations, compost drop-off locations, water sources and other resources for travelers across North America. Available on iOS and Android.

Virro’s four products are built on the same waterless, urine-diverting sanitation foundation, but each is designed for a different environment — from residential bathrooms to portable restrooms and permanent commercial infrastructure.

Renew is Virro’s residential composting toilet. It is designed for homes, cabins, RVs, vans, boats, and off-grid spaces where you want a real toilet experience without plumbing or a sewer connection. Renew has the footprint and seat height of a standard toilet. It features advanced urine diversion, and includes AC/DC powered aeration with manual agitation to accelerate the composting process.

Charge, coming Spring 2027, is Virro’s most advanced all-electric toilet platform. It is designed for higher-use environments with integrated urine processing, expanded system automation, app connectivity, and commercial-grade performance. Charge will also serve as the core system powering many future Locale and Vault deployments.

Locale is Virro’s mobile commercial restroom system. It is a self-contained portable unit designed to replace traditional porta-potties at events, parks, construction sites, campgrounds, and temporary-use locations. Locale requires no hookups and can be deployed as a complete portable restroom system or used to retrofit existing portable restroom chassis. Many Locale configurations are built around the Charge platform inside a mobile commercial enclosure.

Vault is Virro’s permanent commercial infrastructure system. It is designed for outhouses, trailheads, parks, campgrounds, remote facilities, and other fixed restroom locations. Vault uses a below-grade, gravity-feed setup and is designed to replace legacy vault toilets and Clivus Multrum-style systems with a cleaner, lower-maintenance, waterless sanitation solution. Future Vault systems will also integrate technologies developed through the Charge platform.

For most vans and RVs, Virro Renew is the best fit. Renew is a compact, waterless composting toilet designed to install where a standard toilet would go, without plumbing, a water hookup, or a black tank. Its 20 × 22 inch footprint and 19 inch seat height make it a strong fit for RV bathrooms, van builds, skoolies, boats, and other compact off-grid spaces.

Renew uses advanced urine diversion, manual agitation, and a large-capacity compost drum to help keep liquids and solids separated, reduce odor, and begin the breakdown process properly.

Charge, coming Spring 2027, will be the premium option for van and RV owners who want Virro’s most advanced direct-to-consumer system. Think of Charge as the “Cadillac” of the Virro lineup — built for higher-use, higher-end, connected setups with integrated urine processing and app connectivity. For most van and RV installs today, Renew is the practical choice. For premium future builds, luxury rigs, and full-time travelers who want the most advanced Virro system, Charge will be the upgrade path.

For most indoor off-grid cabin bathrooms, Virro Renew is the best fit. Renew installs where a standard toilet would go, requires no plumbing, no water hookup, and no sewer or septic connection, and only needs a 12V power source for the vent fan. It gives cabins a clean, comfortable, waterless composting toilet option without making the bathroom feel temporary or unfinished.

For larger cabins, luxury retreats, or full-time off-grid homes that want Virro’s most advanced system, Charge will be the upgrade path when it launches in Spring 2027. Charge is designed for higher-use environments with integrated urine processing, expanded system automation, and app connectivity.

For outhouse-style setups, public cabins, campgrounds, trailheads, or high-capacity off-grid restroom needs, Virro Vault is the best choice. Vault is a permanent below-grade system designed for fixed restroom structures and high-use environments. It can handle 5,000+ uses per year with one annual service visit, making it a strong replacement for traditional vault toilets, Clivus Multrum-style systems, and older off-grid sanitation infrastructure.

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.

Virro Vault is designed for high-use commercial, hospitality, and public infrastructure applications that need long-term, low-maintenance sanitation without traditional sewer systems.

Vault is a permanent below-grade system built for lodges, campgrounds, parks, trailheads, remote resorts, public recreation areas, and other high-traffic facilities. It is designed to replace legacy vault toilets and older composting systems with a cleaner, more modern waterless sanitation solution.

The system can handle 5,000+ uses per year with only one annual service visit, making it ideal for locations where reliability, reduced maintenance, and water conservation matter.

Vault is especially well suited for:

• Hospitality and eco-lodge developments
• National and state parks
• Campgrounds and trail systems
• Remote public restrooms
• Off-grid commercial facilities
• Permanent outhouse-style installations

Future Vault systems will also integrate technologies being developed through the Charge platform, including advanced urine processing and expanded system monitoring capabilities.

If you are planning a commercial, municipal, hospitality, or high-capacity off-grid restroom project, contact Virro to discuss your site requirements and deployment goals.

No. Virro toilets do not need to connect to any plumbing, water supply, or sewer line. The included urine-drain kit can be easily connected to an existing toilet drain flange, or to an external tank.

The Renew has a footprint of 20 × 22 inches and a seat height of 19 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. Empty the drum and recharge with 2 pounds of carbon cover.

The compost drum should typically be emptied when it is about two-thirds full or when rotating the drum becomes noticeably more difficult. For most two-person households, this is usually every 3–4 weeks, depending on usage and the amount of cover material added.

When the compost is ready to empty, it should look more like dark, crumbly soil rather than fresh waste.

Future Virro systems using the Charge platform will include expanded app connectivity and system monitoring capabilities. Current Renew systems do not require app monitoring to operate properly.

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, stabilizing 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 collaborates 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 2-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.

Renew ships within 5–7 business days from our US 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.