At first glance, an incinerating toilet resembles a regular toilet. However, it's far from ordinary. The toilet features a trap door at the bottom of the bowl that opens to a waste reservoir housing the incinerator. Some models require you to insert a paper liner into the bowl beforehand, while others feature a small water reservoir for cleaning the bowl. When you "flush," the waste and liner (if one is used) fall into the reservoir. Here, a burn cycle reduces the waste to ash. Each use produces about a teaspoon of ash, or approximately one cup of ash per person per week. This ash is free of bacteria and pathogens, and can even act as a fertiliser due to its rich potassium and phosphorus content. The burn cycle typically stops when you lift the lid and is reactivated by pushing the flush button, allowing multiple people to use the toilet in succession.