They say a dog is a man’s best friend. That’s true, and this is why many people want to own dogs. But having a dog comes with its own set of responsibilities – mainly picking up after them. The Flush Doggy Poop calculator says that a 40 pound dog will produce about 273 pounds of poo each year. Are you ready to handle this much? And what about your waste disposal method? Is it Eco-friendly? Let’s discuss some green ways to handle doggy doo.
The three main ways to handle dog waste are:
- Trashing
- Burying
- Flushing
Trashing
Most of us trash it. We scoop it in a bag and throw it in the nearest trash can. If a dog poops three times a day, this would take three garbage bags each day, and 1000+ bags a year – that’s a lot of plastic going into the landfills. If you want to trash it, petroleum based bags would be the worst. You can try petroleum based biodegradable bags if you’re Eco-conscious. And if you really want to help the environment, try biodegradable corn bags. BUT – keep in mind that if a bag is thrown away in the landfill where it will not see any sunlight, it will not break down. Which makes trashing a not-so-Eco-friendly options. So let’s move on to…
Burying
A dog waste digester (septic tank) can be the next choice. You can get a Doggy Dooley from the market. Scoop up the dog waste and put it in the tank. Add some water, and it will digest on its own. Every week, you’ll also have to add digester powder. The problem is that when you remove the lid to add dog poop, you’ll get the whiff of the stink. But then, you can always cover your face while putting in the waste. If you don’t want to buy a product, you can just dig a hole that’s minimum 6 inches deep. Put the poop there and cover it with soil. Of course, this would mean digging a lot of holes. One problem with burying is that it wouldn’t work if you stay in an apartment. This brings us to the last option…
Flushing
Yes, just like you do it. Except your dog won’t come and sit on the toilet seat. You need to pick up the poop in a flushable bag and drain it in the toilet. The problem with flushable bags is that they break down in water and if the poop is too wet, they will begin decomposing before you can bring them to the toilet. And sometimes they clog the system. The best option is to drop the bag there and let it break down for about 10 minutes. Once it has dissolved, you can flush it. Not an easy thing to do, but it’s the Eco-friendliest way. Also, please note that flushing works only for dog poop, not cat poop.
So Love Your Dog, Love The Environment – Eco Friendly Dog Poop Disposal which one are you going to prefer? If you want the easiest solution, trashing works the best. But it’s also the least green.Love Your Dog, Love The Environment – Eco Friendly Dog Poop Disposal.