Sanitation planning for dense low-income neighbourhoods usually assumes a choice between pit latrines and sewers, and this study tests a third option in Shada, a settlement in Cap-Haitien. Households received sealed-container toilets whose contents were collected and composted; the authors weighed the waste, surveyed defecation practice before and after, and costed the whole service. Among households given toilets, reported open defecation and disposal in plastic bags fell below two per cent, safely managed adult faeces rose from 46 to 85 per cent, and safe handling of infant faeces roughly quadrupled. Public toilets alone did not achieve this, largely because residents avoided them after dark. Collection cost more per kilogram of faeces than either condominial or conventional sewerage, though most costs were fixed and managerial, so the authors expect unit costs to fall as coverage grows. They make the case for adding container collection to the menu of urban sanitation options.