In 1971 Hardy Sundberg of Sun-Mar™ developed the world’s first self-contained composting toilet.

For the first time a self-contained toilet could be put in a bathroom and would evaporate liquids and compost solids.

The next big technical breakthrough came in 1979 when Hardy developed his third generation toilet which incorporated a rotating drum as the composting chamber. This was a three chamber design which used separate chambers for composting, evaporating, and compost finishing. Now the environment for each function could be optimized individually.

In keeping with the family tradition, a Sundberg still leads Sun-Mar’s™ research and development effort. Sun-Mar™ remains the world leader in composting toilets. Each model is designed to fill a specific need, and each is distinguished by innovative design, superior technology, and Sun-Mar’s legendary quality.

The way a Sun-Mar™ works is not only unique, it is also elegantly simple. Common sense tells us that the best way to compost is to use a drum. Luckily for Sun-Mar™, their many international patents ensure that only Sun-Mar™ can take full advantage of the benefits a drum offers for mixing and aeration.

All Sun-Mar™ Composting Toilet Systems are certified against the "AS/NZS 1546.2:2008 On-site domestic wastewater treatment units – Waterless composting toilets" standards.