Everyone loves their dog but no one loves dog poop. These little mines are smelly, unpleasant and difficult to eliminate. Disposal of pet waste is an increasing burden on both pet owners and the environment. The Washington State Department of Ecology (WSDE) estimates that with increasing dog ownership an area containing 100,000 people generates 2.5 tonnes of feces per day, which totals 2 million tonnes per year. The current US dog population is over 80 million which adds up to a staggering amount of doggy poop entering the environment.
Dog waste contains large amounts of bacteria such as Escherichia Coli (E.Coli) and Salmonella which are washed into waterways and oceans, causing contamination and potential human infections. Parasites such as Hookworm and Roundworm can live for years in soil where dog poo has been left to degrade, leading to further animal or human infection.
The collection, bagging and disposal of doggy poop is unpleasant enough, but what then? Whilst most people are unhappy throwing poop into the waste bin, most are unaware of the alternatives.
Bagging It Up
The environmental blight of dog poo is only worsened when it is bagged into plastic, another non-degradable environmental scourge. Consequently it all spends years in landfill as a smelly breeding ground for bacteria and disease, which eventually leaches into the water system.
Some pet owners have started placing pet waste in biodegradable bags which are freely available in supermarkets and pet stores. Paper bags are a simple biodegradable alternative but can prove difficult to use. Plastic bags are now available using biodegradable materials such as polyethylene or cornstarch, the latter of which can be composted for better breakdown.
But placing any plastic bag full of waste in landfill is far from ideal. According to the Australian Government’s Department of Environment , the benefit in using degradable plastic bags is questionable as they may not breakdown in the dry, oxygen-starved conditions found in most landfill, and if they do, may produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
According to Pet Habitats.com, bags can be made from water-soluble material allowing them to be flushed down the toilet. The dog poo can then be treated along with human waste at treatment plants before being released into the water system.
Give It Away
Dog poo collection services are available to clear your yard of little parcels, and pick up pre-bagged waste. Be sure to enquire into their disposal method as having someone else deliver your dog waste to landfill may be more palatable than binning it yourself, but it is no less harmful.
Enzyme Digestion
The extent of this problem has led scientific entrepreneurs such as Doggie Doo.Com to invent dog poo digestion units which are buried in a corner of the yard. The dog poo is then placed into the unit and soaked in a ‘natural’ enzyme solution. This in turn digests the waste leaving an odorless, harmless residue to soak into the soil below. The exact content of such solutions remain commercial secrets but the premise appears plausible.
Worm Farm Compost
The most comprehensive, environmentally-friendly and cheapest solution to the puppy poop problem appears to be the humble worm farm. Composting worms are housed in a simple box and are fed on lawn clippings, dog hair, kitchen scraps, and of course dog poo. The worms remove any odor and convert this organic waste into worm castings; a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer.
Worm farms come in many sizes and can be bought from any hardware store. Alternatively, they can be made at home by following simple instructions as found at Sustainability Victoria.
One important note; do not place dog poop in the worm farm straight after worming your dog; the medication will kill your worms.
Dog poo disposal is an increasing environmental problem, but with a little thought and planning cleaning up after your dog can benefit not burden the planet.
Victoria Atkinson - As a qualified cardiothoracic surgeon and an unqualified mother of 1, there are always many ripe and interesting topics on which to muse. ...
