Environmentally conscious members of the public can now have peace of mind in knowing that human waste can be put to good use.

Yesterday workers from the Department of Parks installed a composting toilet at the Warwick Long Bay Playground. The toilet is a natural way of taking care of waste without polluting the environment.

Senior superintendent at the Department of Parks Martin Brown said: "It's an odourless system which is very efficient, and very environmentally sound."

Mr. Brown said there would be a testing period to see the viability of having the toilets placed around the Island. He added that it was a clean alternative to its predecessor which relied largely on chemicals.

The playground was chosen because it sees yearly use as opposed to seasonal use like many of the beaches, said Mr. Brown.

"These are similar to what are used in the park systems in the United States and Europe. The system is charged with wood chips. Basically through natural filtration and compost, there are some compost accelerators that can be added to accelerate the composting process."

However, there is one draw back to the new toilets. He said the cost of the toilets are about three times that of the cabana-style chemical toilets.

"However, the maintenance costs are greatly reduced because we're not having to by chemical toilet treatment. Nor do we have to pump them out and pay to have the sewage disposed," said Mr. Brown.

The toilet runs entirely on solar power, with a solar panel creating energy for the battery located near the rear of the toilet. The battery runs a small fan at that top that provides a constant flow of fresh air into the toilet and tank below.

The tank is filled with sawdust which acts a natural material to aid decomposition.

Any liquid in the system is pumped into a separate compartment where it is held until it can be disposed of.

A constant flow of fresh air is needed in order for decomposition to occur.

"Basically it is just introducing micro-organisms to the mix. Over time the system produces a usable compost."

The compost will be collected and used by the Department of Parks on a regular basis.

As to whether more toilets will be built, Mr. Brown said: "The big thing will be the cost implications."

He added that the sole toilet will be monitored throughout the year to see how it fares against its chemical counterparts.