This is something I really hate …. plastic bags of dog @*%! hanging from the bushes.

But then plastic bags of dog poop anywhere are a bad idea and a big problem!

According to PFMA (Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association) the dog population of the U.K., in 2014, stood at 9 million. The average dog according to Streetkleen produces 340g of fecal matter per day x 9,000,000 dog population = 3,060 tonnes of poo per day x 365 days per year =1,111,900 tonnes of dog poo annually.

Why Not Landfill?

Putting plastic bags of poop in landfill is problematic for the following reasons

• Biodegradable waste does not do well in the unnatural conditions of landfill. It bubbles away producing methane another more potent greenhouse gas.
• The non biodegradable waste, plastic, is there for ever.
• As of April 2016 Landfill Tax is £84.40 per tonne . At over a million tons that poop costs a lot.
• we are running out of holes

What to do?

But how do you dispose of dog poop  responsibly and environmentally?
Seems there are two options:
Flushing:
Composting.

Flushing

Here’s what the United States Environmental Protection Agency has to say about cleaning up pet waste.

“Pet waste can be a major source of bacteria and excess nutrients in local waters. . . Flushing pet waste is the best disposal method. Leaving pet waste on the ground increases public health risks by allowing harmful bacteria and nutrients to wash into the storm drain and eventually into local waterbodies.”

If you don’t fancy using your own toilet you can get an attachment for your outside drain. The doggybog.

The Doggybog™ unit fits onto your existing outdoor soil pipe and can be DIY fitted in less than 30 minutes. Simple removal of the cap means that you can throw the dog waste down the pipe, then with the cap replaced you can flush it away. Your dog poo goes into the sewage system never to be seen or smelled again.

Read more HERE.

There are flushable bags out there on the market like these
“Fsh Puppies™ doodie bags are Certified Compostable in industrial compost facilities that accept pet waste, where they will disintegrate and biodegrade swiftly.* (Sorry, home composters, they’re not suitable for backyard composting!)

Flush Puppies™ are flushable, too. Yes, really… flushable. Made from Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) – a water soluble alternative to regular plastic – Flush Puppies™ are specifically made to be flushed down the toilet along with your pet’s waste. (It’s science – not voodoo!) Unlike regular plastic bags or other so-called “biodegradable” poop bags, Flush Puppies™ actually break down in water.”
Read more HERE.

You can buy them from Amazon U.K.

Pet poop composter

Use compostable plastic bags such as  BioBag dog bags and get a pet poop composter. You can read more about compostable plastics here and you can find cheaper than Biobags by Googling.

Use them in conjunction with a pet poop composter. I believe that composting is the future. A household that can turn its own waste into food for the plants is truly sustainable and delightfully green. And who wouldn’t want to be any of those?  I have a number of compost bins BUT I don’t have a pet so cannot try this. I thought of getting a puppy but apparently  they are for life, not just for composting.

How they work…
A pet waste composter is a bin set in the ground. Chuck the pop in and nature will deal with it naturally. It will compost away. Just to reiterate, the resulting material is left in place. It is not meant to be used as compost, rather that the composting process is used to naturally dispose of dog poop!

Have a look at these ready made dog waste composters. You bury it in the back garden and drop in the poop.

Here is an Australian product called Yard Art in action

Here is a home made one

And an  article,  you can read on the subject.
Using the Compost…nooooooooo

MATT SULLIVAN writes a thoughtful and informative piece about the joys and perils of pet poop composting. As he says “several writers discourage pet owners from the practice at all. Others gave specific warnings of not using the final composted product in any edible gardens. A handful wrote that the compost from domestic animals was safe and could be used in vegetable crops.”

But, despite doom laden warnings, he goes ahead and uses worms to compost his dog dirt. It’s a success and he concludes that “even if you have no desire to add compost to your garden, I believe it makes sense to be a good steward of your animals. You feel good, help out the environment, and have an excuse to spend time outside.”

Wise words.

 

More

You can find hundreds of different composting methods here  including links to worm bins and underground composers.

This is an interesting idea – biogas from dog poo.