We love our furry companions, but let’s be honest, they produce a lot of waste. Dog poop negatively impacts the environment, leaving many pet parents asking, “what should I do with all this s**t?”. While there are many ways to dispose of dog poop, some of you may be wondering if it’s possible to compost dog poop?
Can You Compost Dog Poop?
In a well-managed compost, dog poop is most definitely compostable. Composting dog waste is better for the environment and reduces the amount of pet waste going to landfill. There are several methods that can be used and can produce a great nutrient-rich fertiliser that can be used for non-edible plants.
You’re probably trying to decide if composting your pet’s poop is for you, and wondering where to start. Luckily, you’re in the right place. We have all the details to help you choose the right composting method for you, that fits in with your lifestyle and the space available.
Why You Should Compost Dog Poop
Whichever way you look at it, dog waste is bad for the environment. And when dog poop is left on the ground, it does more than leave a mess for someone to step in.
Dog poop is full of pathogens and parasites that are harmful to human health and wildlife. It adds excess nutrients to the environment, over-fertilising soil and driving out vital plant species and the wildlife they support. It also contaminates waterways, causing algae blooms, which deplete oxygen levels and impacts aquatic life.
Furthermore, dog poop contributes to global warming, producing the greenhouse gas methane as it breaks down. Even if you bag it and bin it, the dog poop will eventually degrade and seep methane into the environment.
Composting dog poop is a great way of turning this waste product, which would otherwise pollute the environment, into a fertiliser for your garden. Even if you don’t want to use the compost as a fertiliser it’s still worthwhile. Ultimately, composting dog waste helps to reduce its environmental impact, limit poo bag use and shrink your pooch’s carbon pawprint.
Is It Safe To Compost Dog Poop?
Given that dog poop can contain a variety of pathogens and parasites, it’s understandable that many would be concerned if it’s safe to compost. Additionally, you may be worried it’s going to smell, meaning no more BBQs or summer gatherings in your garden. However, you need not fear.
Composting dog poop is very much safe when added to a well-maintained compost, and if done correctly, composting dog waste can be odourless. During the composting process, the core temperature can reach 71˚C (160˚F), killing the pathogens and parasites over time. Compost made with dog poop should not be used to fertilise edible plants.
However, the safety of composting dog poop also largely depends on the placement of the compost bin. Compost should be placed away from water sources, edible plants, and areas where children play. Additionally, time is also a factor. Poorly managed composts are a potential source of pathogens and parasites, and may even attract pests. If you’re frequently short on time, you may want to avoid methods that require too much maintenance.
4 Ways To Compost Dog Poop
There are several types of composting methods you can use to keep your garden free of pet waste. First, there is the classic method, traditional composting (also known as hot composting). Second, vermicomposting, which uses worms to break down waste. The third option is, bokashi, a type of fermenting. And finally, the septic tank method. While the latter two are not technically composting, they are tried and tested methods of dealing with pet waste and are less damaging to the environment.
Composting
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Maintenance: Moderate
Advantages: Provides fertile compost for non-edible plants. Odourless (when done correctly). Reduces methane emissions.
Disadvantages: Temperature sensitive, the process stops below 4˚c (40˚F). Can attract unwanted pests. Requires turning to ensure all pathogens and parasites are killed.
How it works: Composting is the natural process of turning organic waste into rich compost (aka humus). Microbes in the compost ‘feed’ on organic matter, breaking it down and changing its chemical structure to allow plants to obtain its nutrients.
For the composting process to be successful it requires organic materials, oxygen, and water. You will need two types of organic materials, carbon-rich and nitrogen-rich. Carbon material, aka “browns”, are things such as sawdust, shredded newspaper, straw/hay, or fallen leaves. Nitrogen material, aka “greens”, are grass cuttings, vegetable waste, coffee grounds, or in our case poop. You need to get the right balance of greens to browns, a mix of 2-parts greens to 1-part brown should be about right. If you find the compost is developing an odour add more browns.
Compost bins need to be well-ventilated as the microbes are aerobic, meaning they require oxygen. The microbes also require moisture to survive. Enough water needs to be added to keep the compost moist, but not saturated.
As the microbes ‘feed’ on the organic waste they generate a lot of heat, reaching temperatures of 71˚c (160˚F) at the compost core. The increase in temperature speeds up decomposition and is what kills the pathogens and parasites that may be lurking in the dog poop. Turning the compost regularly allows the entire contents to heat evenly. As the poop degrades you should be left with a crumbly compost mix that you can use on your ornamentals.
For more information about composting dog poop check out our Ultimate Beginners Guide!
Vermicompost
Difficulty: Moderate
Maintenance: Moderate, the worms will die if not maintained.
Advantages: Provides compost for non-edible plants. Odourless, when done correctly. Reduces methane emissions. Small set-up footprint. Easily scalable to suit the volume of waste.
Disadvantages: Temperature sensitive. Can attract unwanted pests.
How it works: Vermicomposting uses worms to recycle organic waste and create a fertile compost. Worms feed on the organic waste, and pass highly sought nutrient-rich castings, aka ‘black gold’.
You can’t just use any worms; you will need red wigglers (Eisenia fetida). You can order the exact weight you need online. Red wigglers eat around 50% of their body weight each day. So, a good rule of thumb is to have a worm-to-waste ratio of 2:1.
For example, 1kg of worms: 0.5kg of organic waste (i.e., poop).
For successful vermicomposting, the worms need a wormery, darkness, air, a reasonably stable temperature, bedding, water, and of course food. You can purchase a wormery, or DIY one using two dark storage containers that stack with a lid. Air is essential, so if making your own wormery, don’t forget to add holes for airflow and drainage. Worms are susceptible to freezing or burning. So, remember to keep your wormery in a place that is within the optimum temperature range, between 4-26˚C (40-80˚F).
Enough bedding material is key, and shredded newspaper is ideal. This provides a source of carbon and allows air to circulate. Worms breathe through their skin, so adequate moisture is essential to their survival. Therefore, keep their bedding damp, but not dripping wet. Think moist sponge.
Allow the worms some time to settle into their new environment, then start adding the poop! Feed the worms as the food disappears. Some research suggests worms can destroy pathogens in dog poop. However, err on the side of caution, and only use the compost on non-edible plants.
Bokashi
Difficulty: Easy
Maintenance: Easy to moderate
Advantages: Fast. Small set-up footprint. Easily scalable to suit the volume of waste. Reduces methane emissions. Virtually odourless.
Disadvantages: Premixed bokashi bran can be expensive.
How it works: Bokashi is a Japanese process of fermenting organic material. Most composting processes are aerobic, requiring oxygen. Bokashi is anaerobic, which works by depriving the organic material of oxygen. Bokashi uses a mix of essential microorganisms (EM) and grains that have been steeped in a sugar solution, which helps accelerate the degradation of organic waste. As the waste breaks down it creates a nutrient-rich fertiliser that can be used on non-edible plants.
The setup is simple and doesn’t require a lot of equipment. You can buy a bokashi kit, or set up your own two-bucket system and purchase some bokashi bran. Once you have your buckets you have a choice of the wet or dry method.
The wet method: fill a bucket halfway with water and some bokashi mix. You can now begin adding the poop. Once nearly full, switch out the buckets and begin the process again in the second bucket. Leave the first bucket for two weeks for the contents to fully degrade and ferment.
The dry method: add a layer of pet waste and cover with a layer of the bokashi mix to the first bucket. Continue to layer poop with the bokashi mix until the bucket is full. Switch out your buckets, and begin the process again in the second bucket. Leave the first bucket for two weeks to allow the fermentation cycle to finish.
Once fermentation is complete you have a potent fertiliser. Dig a hole and bury the contents, mix in some soil as you go, and cover with more soil. Allow a few months before using the soil for your ornamental garden.
Septic Tank
Difficulty: Easy
Maintenance: Easy
Advantages: Requires little maintenance. Small set-up footprint.
Disadvantages: Temperature sensitive, the process stops below 4˚c (40˚F). Potential odours (when done incorrectly). Methane emissions.
How it works: Doggie septic tanks (or digesters) work very much like home septic tanks. The waste is added to the tank along with water and a waste digester, which contains a non-toxic blend of natural bacteria and enzymes. The waste digester speeds up the breakdown of dog waste, turning it from a solid into a ground-absorbed liquid.
Using a septic tank (or biodigester) for dog waste is one of the easiest methods for dealing with dog poop in your garden. After installation, the system requires very little attention, which is great for those that don’t have much free time to dedicate to maintaining a compost.
As with all these systems, you can buy a pet waste septic tank, or DIY your own. An old plastic bin can be repurposed for this, cutting off the bottom and drilling holes around the sides to allow for drainage.
To install a pet waste septic tank, you will need to locate an area in your garden with well-draining soil, avoiding heavy clay. It should be away from the foundations of your property and any water sources. You will need to dig a very deep hole (about 48″ deep) and the tank should fit snuggly. The collar of the tank should rest level on the ground around the edge of the hole. You can also add some gravel or rocks to help with drainage if you like.
You can now start adding the poop! Top up with some water and septic tank starter. You can top up with more water and starter once a week, or as your tank requires. Now sit back and let the poop degrade.
Final Thoughts
The great thing about composting is that there is a method to suit even the most time restricted of folks. Plus, you can reap the reward of turning waste into fertiliser. If you are planning on utilising any of the fertiliser produced from your efforts, be sure to only use it on non-edible plants and preferably away from children’s play areas.
If you try one method and it doesn’t work out, don’t let that deter you. Start small and remember, doing something to tackle the pet poop conundrum is better than doing nothing.