Dog Waste Disposal in a Eco-Friendly Manner

Dog poo It's an unsavory topic, but someone has to deal with it. What exactly do we do with our dog poop?

Millions of dog owners collect their dogs' poop in small plastic bags and dispose of it in the nearest litter or poo bin. This is fantastic - well, maybe not in the litter bin unless the bin is empty every day (it should be securely wrapped in plastic before being placed in a litter bin). It is legal, it keeps the streets and playing fields clear, and it makes walking enjoyable. But what happens to the feces after it exits the bin?

It has been disposed of.

We've just extended the life of a completely natural product by the time it takes the plastic bag to decompose. We've taken the risk of it leaching into our waterways.

We obviously cannot leave dog poop lying around. Even if there are no signs or no one around to notice, the mess should not be left in the woods, off the beaten path, or under a bush. Because there are so many dogs in the UK, 1,000 tonnes of poo is produced every day. Our woods and parks would be groaning under the mess long before it could naturally decompose - few insect or fungi species have evolved to feed on non-herbivore feces. It lasts a long time, interfering with natural soil fertility and contaminating it with any medication, worming tablets, or other medications the dogs may be taking, as well as parasites the dogs may be carrying.

If you or your dog take something with you on a walk, you should bring it back home with you. Even if it is feces So, what are we going to do with it?

• Purchase a wormery Yes, you can put dog poop in a worm farm, but you'll also need to feed it newspaper, which fits in nicely with the next bullet, and don't use it for anything else. According to research, the surface area rather than the depth determines how well they work, and the retail sector appears to be ignoring this for the time being. Although it may appear obvious, do not add poo to the farm for a few days after taking any medication, particularly worming tablets.

• Pick it up in newspaper - you'll need a very sturdy container to transport it in. When using paper, it's easy for a thumb to become nail-deep in a muck. Or maybe it's just me. The entire package can be placed directly in a wormery.

• Bring a sturdy bag or other container with you to deposit the mess into after picking it up for disposal at home. So, carrying poo around isn't ideal. But you're the one who wanted a dog, right? This is par for the course. There are numerous products available to help you with this; I use the Muksak or Dicky Bag (If you buy one, please quote 'oldies' at the time of ordering, and Oldies Club will receive a £3 donation for purchases of £15).

• Train your dog to go at home and walk him before meals so there is nothing to pick up (although this does not always work because the dog's walking muscles stimulate him to go).

• If you must pick it up in a bag, use biodegradable/compostable bags; some will decompose in less than a month. If you use a wormery, the bag can also go in there.

• Purchase a dog waste decomposer. The decomposer is made up of two nesting buckets that are buried in the ground. The bottom bucket is always filled with water and a bio-activator. The mess is dumped into the water (watch for splashes) and then, at regular intervals depending on the size and number of dogs, is flushed through with water that drains out of the upper bucket's slots, carrying the decomposed liquefied matter with it. If you place the decomposer near a body of water, the job becomes much easier. Installing the decomposer correctly is critical, because if the hole and drainage are inadequate, you'll end up with two buckets full of runny, stinking mess. If you don't want to pay for one or need something larger than the commercial models, you could build your own. They work best when the poop is fresh, and if your dogs eat dry food, you may have to work harder to keep it flushed through.

• Dog waste can be flushed down the toilet. It can also be disposed of through the 'observation hatch' into the sewer that many of us have in our gardens, which is less pleasant for those of us without outdoor toilets. Sluice it with water, but don't dump a week's worth all at once. Don't flush it down the toilet.

• Although it is not usually recommended, you can compost dog poop. If you do this, the heap must be turned weekly to help keep the temperature high enough for it to break down quickly. To speed things up, make sure your heap is properly layered. It is not recommended if you have a small heap that you only visit on occasion or if you have a dog that has frequent and large poos and your neighbors are within sniffing distance.

• Because dog feces is acidic, bury it near acid-loving plants in your garden if you don't have acidic soil.

• Combine it with water, nettles, and other garden weeds in a bucket (preferably one with a lid). It will decompose into liquid plant feed if you agitate it occasionally with a stick. Sawdust will help to keep any odor at bay, but it does not decompose very well.

• Put it in a methane digester to generate electricity.

• We pee on it Urine hastens the decomposition process.