If you’ve spent much time reading SOIL’s blog, bonzodè is a word that you have probably seen a lot. But what is it?
In Haitian Creole, it means “good smell,” and good smell is right! Bonzodè (pronounced bon-zo-de) is SOIL’s carbon cover material and it serves as the “flush” in our dry toilets.
Every time you go to the bathroom using one of SOIL’s in-home composting toilets, you cover the waste with bonzodè and it works its magic by keeping both the flies and smells at bay.
Each time we collect full containers from families on our sanitation service, we deliver a fresh bucket of bonzodè and we’re producing more bonzodè each and every month as our household toilet service grows across the country.
Over time SOIL has researched and refined the production process as we’ve hunted for the perfect blend of carbon materials and worked to reduce our costs. Currently, we’re using a blend of peanut shells and sugar cane bagasse, which is remains of sugar cane after it’s been processed for sugar or rum, though we’re always trying new materials in our office test lab. Recently we’ve been trying out blends with vetiver leaves, ash, banana leaves, and Konpòs Lakay compost itself!
Do you want to learn more about the how the rest of the process to transform dangerous waste into earth-restoring compost works? Visit this page to read on and be sure to sign up for SOIL’s newsletter to get a monthly update from our crew in Haiti.
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