If your canine companions are anything like mine, they produce a lot of poop. And all that poop is bad for the environment. While scooping the poop is no one’s dream job, it is part of being a responsible pet parent. And if you’re part of 70% of dog owners that do pick after their dog, you may find yourself wondering, what’s the best way to dispose of dog poop?
What is the best way to dispose of dog poop?
The best way to dispose of dog poop is by composting it, this has the least environmental impact. It’s a great, eco-friendly way of utilising a waste product, and turning it into a useable compost for non-edible plants. If you can’t compost it, bag it and bin it instead. While not the most eco-friendly option, it’s better than leaving it to decay in the environment.
However, the best way to dispose of dog poop is not necessarily a one-way suits all situation. After all, disposal methods have varying impacts on the environment. And some methods may not be practical for everyone, such as composting if you live in an apartment.
Either way, we can’t just leave it where it lands. Let’s get stuck in, and get the scoop on the best way for you to dispose of your pet’s poop.
How to dispose of pet waste: At a Glance
METHOD | COST £/$ | PROS | CONS |
BURYING | Free | Easy | Soil/water contamination. |
FLUSHING | Free. I say free, but someone has to pay the water bill for all those extra flushes. | Easy | Can damage plumbing. |
BAG & BIN | There is no cost in throwing dog poop in the bin, cost really depends on your choice of poop bag. You can buy a pack of 50 dog poop bags for as little as £1, quality and eco credentials will vary greatly. | Easy and practical when out with your dog. | Methane emissions. |
SEPTIC TANK | Doggy septic tanks start at around £50, but you can make your own DIY version for less. It also requires a waste digester (enzymes that break down poop) which cost around £20 for a year’s supply. You may also wish to buy a pooper scooper to make pick up easier, these start at around £15. | Easy and practical dog waste solution for gardens. | Stops working at 4˚C (40˚F). |
COMPOSTING | You can buy a compost bin for as little as £30, but you can easily make your own. Composts need a supply of carbon material, such as sawdust, shredded newspaper, or fallen leaves, which can often be found around the house or easily obtained for free. | Practical solution for dog waste in garden. | Requires turning to ensure compost heats through evenly. |
Burying Dog Poop
This seems like a very easy and practical way of dealing with your dog’s waste, especially for all the little treasures they leave in your garden. However, burying dog poop isn’t a straightforward solution or regarded as the best way to dispose of dog poop. Dog waste is a nutrient pollutant that is rich in phosphorus and nitrogen. When added to the environment in excess concentrations, these nutrients impact plant life, killing vital species and driving out the wildlife that depends on them.
Ever wondered why your grass turns brown? It’s the excess nitrogen from all the dog pee! Admittedly, we can’t pick up the pee, but we can remove the poop. And by doing so we reduce our dog’s phosphorus pollution by 97% and nitrogen pollution by 56%.
Dog poop contains many harmful pathogens, such as Salmonella and E.coli, as well as parasites, such as tapeworms and roundworms. These nasties can contaminate the soil, leach into nearby water sources, and potentially affect homegrown crops rendering them unfit for consumption. Even when buried, parasites and pathogens linger in the soil. And in the right conditions, they can hang around for years. Bad news for the green-fingered among you.
On the plus side, if you just want to keep your garden visibly clear of dog waste this system is simple and easy. However, regularly digging holes could soon become tedious, raising questions about maintenance sustainability.
Flushing Dog Poop
Flushing pet waste seems to be gaining popularity. From flushable dog poop bags to flushable kitty litter, it feels like I read about it all the time. However, if there is one method of pet waste disposal that has the potential to come back and bite you on the ass, it’s this.
Flushing dog waste is not a good idea for two potential reasons. 1) water contamination. And 2) damage to your home plumbing.
Most wastewater treatment facilities are not designed to treat animal waste, and the pathogens and parasites they can carry. Flushing animal waste can introduce high concentrations of new pathogens that are not treated for under current processes. Pathogens such as Toxocara (aka roundworm) found in dog waste are tolerant to the harsh conditions of the treatment process and its high temperatures and may survive water treatment.
Flushing dog waste also increases water usage. The average dog poops at least twice a day, and those two extra flushes per day would use more than 4 tonnes of water per year. Using large volumes of water to flush animal waste is not only going to increase your water bill but it’s also a waste of natural resources.
Then there is the potential of damaging your home plumbing. Flushing pet waste, especially when it’s bagged, can wreak havoc with your pipes. Even if you use the dog poop bags advertised as ‘flushable’ it’s not a good idea. Depending on the age of your house and the quality of the plumbing these little bags could easily cause blockages leaving you with a hefty plumbing bill. If you dispose of dog poop by flushing it could be a costly mistake and one that is better off avoided.
Bag and Bin
This is probably how most people dispose of their dog poop, as It’s easy and convenient. However, any points this method earns for convenience it loses for eco-friendliness. Once all those lovingly wrapped deuces are sent off to landfill, that is where they will remain for a very long time. Eventually, these little bags of poop will begin to seep methane, and can still cause water contamination. In some ways bagging poop is just putting off the inevitable.
The bags themselves offer a different conundrum. Most of the bags that fill the shelves in stores are either made from petroleum-based or vegetable-based materials. The latter is the more environmentally friendly option as these are generally compostable.
Eco-minded pet parents often opt for ‘biodegradable’ poop bags to mitigate against their pet’s impact. However, some ‘biodegradable’ bags are still made from plastics just with added chemicals that enable them to break down. This doesn’t mean that the bag will break down quickly, and even when it does it still leaves microplastics in the environment.
Compostable poop bags may seem like a better option. But if it’s just thrown in with the regular rubbish that isn’t the case. Compostable bags are designed to break down under specific conditions, such as in soil or water. When sent to landfill they do not break down as intended. However, in terms of eco-friendliness compostable poop bags are still the better bag choice.
If the classic bag and bin option has been your method of disposal up until now, you may feel like all your efforts have been wasted. They haven’t. Yes, it’s not a flawless way to dispose of pet waste but picking up after your pooch is far better than just leaving it. And at the very least is the considerate thing to do.
If you want to know more eco-friendly poop bags, you can read about our favourites here.
Dog Poop Septic Tank
If you’re looking for an easy at-home dog poop waste disposal system, a doggy septic tank may be just for you. Doggy septic tanks allow pet waste to be safely contained, avoiding contamination of the wider environment.
There are several doggy septic tanks on the market, such as the Doggie Dooley. Or you can even make your own. There is some elbow grease required initially (you will need to dig a fairly deep hole) but once set up this system is pretty low maintenance, just adding water and a waste digester as needed.
Waste digesters are a non-toxic blend of natural bacteria and enzymes that speeds up the breakdown of dog waste. The digester turns the solid waste into a liquid that is absorbed deep underground.
As with all methods, there are downsides. One of the pitfalls of this system is that you can’t add poop bags, not even compostable ones. So, unless you’re willing to undo all the poops you’ve bagged at the dog park, this really is a solution for the pet waste in your garden. This system is temperature sensitive and doesn’t work below 4˚C (40˚F), so may not be a year-round solution for those of you that live in areas with colder winters. Also, the pathogens and parasites in dog waste aren’t killed using this process.
While not perfect, it’s a great option for those short on time and wanting to reduce poop bag usage and limit their dog’s impact.
Composting Dog Poop
Composting is easy to set up and doesn’t cost a fortune to get started. It’s also the most environmentally friendly way to dispose of dog poop. It stops dog waste (and all those little bags) from going to landfill, reduces water pollution, and turns an environmental pollutant into a rich compost for ornamental plants. And as an extra bonus, you can add compostable poop bags to your home compost. So, any poops bagged on the dog walk can be tossed into the pile.
This doesn’t mean composting is without flaws. Similar to the septic tank method, composting is temperature sensitive and stops working at 4˚C (40˚F), however, it will jump back into life as temperatures increase. Composing doesn’t suit everyone, as it does require time and maintenance, although if neglected it can easily bounce back. Despite compost piles heating up to 71˚C (160˚F), there is a chance that pathogens and parasites won’t be killed, so caution is still needed. Never use compost for edible plants.
There are other types of composting that may want to consider that are equally as green, vermiculture, and bokashi. Vermiculture uses red worms to break down pet waste, creating a nutrient-rich compost referred to as ‘black gold’. Bokashi isn’t technically composting, it’s fermenting, but it does produce a potent fertiliser. Both vermiculture and bokashi are great options if you’re short on space.
If you want to know more about composting pet waste you can find out more here.
The Verdict
There is no perfect way to dispose of dog poop, and no one system suits all solution. It’s really about damage limitation. Dogs poop and we can’t change that, but we can reduce their impact on the planet by opting for a greener disposal method.
Choose a method that can easily be fitted into your daily routine. If it doesn’t feel like something that you can easily maintain or is convenient to you, good intentions can go awry.
If you live in an apartment, you’re not likely going to be in a position to set up a compost. Instead, you may want to really consider the type of poop bags you’re using, what they are made from, and how long they take to degrade.
Maybe you don’t have the time or desire to maintain a compost. Perhaps a doggy septic tank is more fitting with your needs at home, but you opt to use eco-friendly poop bags on the dog walk. That’s fine. Everyone is different and has different needs and constraints.
Remember, we are not aiming for perfection. If everyone does that little extra and makes their choices that little bit greener, it’s far more impactive than one person doing it all perfectly.
Happy scooping friends!