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21.2 Billions Pounds of Dog Poop
In the United States alone dogs are producing an estimated 21.2 BILLION POUNDS OF DOG POOP each year! That’s a crap-load of waste!!! But the amount of poo isn’t the real problem here. Dog poop is full of bacteria, believed to be caused by the nutrient-rich bagged food that we are feeding them. These bacterias, and not to mention parasites like whipworm, parvo, and giardia are populating our water. Yuck!!
Introducing International Pooper Scooper Week
Welcome to International Pooper Scooper Week (April 1st -7th). Yes, you read that correctly there is a whole week dedicated to scooping your dog’s poop!
In 2002 The Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists (ePaws) saw a growing problem in local communities and jumped in with establishing International Pooper Scooper Week to educate dog owners about the importance of scoping your dog’s poop!
I promise you this is no April fools prank – dog waste is not a joke!
Dog Poop: What Can We Do About It?
The obvious answer would be to scoop (and bag) your dog’s poop, but it’s not quite that simple. Many dog owners have made the conscious decision to switch to biodegradable poop bags thinking the bag will break down or compost in a reasonable amount of time. Well, not all poop bags degrade quickly or safely according to the ASTM International standards.
Is It Compost or Is It Trash?
Your poop bag claims that it is compostable, so, one’s natural decision would be to match that green bag to the green compost bin. But, not so fast. Yes, that bag holding Fido’s lunch may indeed be compostable in a commercial or municipal facility; however, these facilities do not allow pet waste.
If compost facilities won’t accept Fido’s lunch, then to the trash bin it is. But guess what, that green bag that you use to delicately cover your hand may never decompose in the landfill.
Disposing of Dog Poop The Eco-Friendly Way
If the trash and compost bins aren’t the best methods of waste disposal then what is?
Here are four of the most eco-friendly ways to properly dispose of dog poo.
1. Toss it in a dog-waste only composting bin like the Doggy Dooley or build your own.
2. Depending on your municipal’s sewage guidelines you may be able to flush Fido’s poo.
3. If you live in a rural area, properly bury the poo at least 5 inches underground, and away from vegetation and any water source.
4. Hire a waste removal company like Poop 911 or Poop Patrol
This sounds all good and dandy, but if you are a city dweller like myself, these options are just not practical. If bagging and tossing it is the most realistic option for you, consider these following bags, when disposed of properly they meet the ASTM International standards.
The Bottom Line – Always Scoop Your Poop
The bottom line is that dog waste is causing a problem to our environment with a less than ideal solution for urban residence. But the worst thing that you can do is to leave the poop behind. Always scoop your dog’s poop, so your neighbors don’t have to send poop patrol! Happy Scooping.