OUr Green INITIATIVE
What are the advantages to composting dog waste?
If a product says it’s biodegradable, consumers like you and me probably think it will break down in the trash or composting bin. Estimates suggest that poop bags, even “biodegradable” ones, can take anywhere from 10 to 1,000 years to fully decompose when they are in landfills.
Though composting dog poop goes against everything you’ve ever learned and read about the art of composting, there is a way!
- Composting removes raw dog waste from the environment where it can pollute groundwater and streams.
- Good composting destroys pathogens and produces a safe soil amendment.
- Good on-site composting eliminates landfill space.
- Good composting produces a quality soil additive that improves both the physical condition and fertility of the soil.
The Facts about dog poop and composting
Why compost dog poop?
Currently there are more then 75 million dogs in the U.S., each one depositing an average of 274 lbs of waste annually. That’s a staggering 10 million tons of poop per year – most of which is placed in plastic bags and thrown into the landfill. We’re here to change that. You’ve heard of “reuse, renew, recycle”? The same can be applied to dog waste.
What is composting?
Composting is the controlled breakdown or degradation of organic material into a product know as humus. Dog waste composting is a natural process that requires air, water, organic matter, microbes and a little human intervention.
There are a few more precautions to take when composting dog waste compared to vegetation as dog waste can contain a multitude of unwanted pathogens. It needs to be more contained, of a certain minimum volume, and reach high enough temperatures to kill off harmful bacteria (a reason why we do not recommend composting small amounts of dog waste in your backyard).
The Equipment
The composter we looking to purchase is an in-vessel unit that is completely enclosed in order to contain odors, keep animals and bugs out, and prevent unwanted bacteria from seeping into the soil. It is for relatively small amounts of waste in terms of commercial composting.