Dog Waste Disposal: Where will we put the poop?
Dog waste disposal in the future
The year is 2020. Every evening, Chris takes me for a walk around the neighborhood and then down by the lake. At the end of our walk, he takes the bag and puts it in the dog waste disposal unit. A lot has changed in the past 10 years. Where dog waste used to fill up the landfills in plastic bags that took forever decompose, I now help power the city and save the family money as well. You’re probably wondering how I do that.
Well, whenever Chris places the biodegradable bag into the dog waste disposal unit, it goes to the power company which has a device called a methane digester. The digester uses bacteria to break down the waste so it can be turned into methane. This methane is used by the power plants to make electricity, natural gas, and fuel.
Now, you’re probably wondering how I save the family money. Well, for dog owners that agreed to participate in the program and donate to the dog waste disposal unit, the power company gives the homeowner a discount on their power bill. Granted, we can’t power an entire house with the stuff, but it sure beats putting it in a landfill to sit for decades and go into the water supply.
Dog waste disposal today
Back to today, did you know that pets produce 10 million tons of waste in the US every year? This is nasty stuff, not only does it stink, but it can contain viruses, parasites, bacteria, and can make humans and animals sick.
So this begs the question, what do we do with all of it?
For starters, I’ve seen a few different articles on composting dog waste with a compost pile, like you would use for leaves. This is generally not a good idea. Carnivore waste contains harmful organisms that are not destroyed during the composting process.
An in-ground septic system like the Doggie Dooley is a good option. These systems use chemicals to break down the dog waste and make it harmless to the environment.
Will there better options for dog waste disposal in the future?
Sunset Scavenger in San Francisco is working on a way to recycle the pet waste and turn it into biofuel. The collection process will involve putting the dog waste in a biodegradable bag and placing it in a methane digester. The equipment then converts it into biofuel which can be used in stoves and other appliances that use natural gas. Robert Reed with Norcal, the parent company of Sunset Scavenger, says there is a lot more work to be done, but they hope to have it working around 2020. The plan is to put dog waste carts with biodegradable bags in some the of city’s larger dog parks. It can then be transported to a facility where it can be converted to power after sitting in a methane digester for two weeks.
This process is already being done in Europe and other developing nations and should become a better alternative than leaving it in our landfills.
What can I do about dog waste disposal today?
According to Sunset Scavenger, the best option for dog waste disposal is to use a flushable bag and flush it down the toilet. The sewage system will take care of dog waste disposal for now and it is better for the environment.
Update: 12/22/09
This is very interesting. A little over a week since I wrote this article, the number one article on Yahoo News is on Polluting Pets.
Polluting pets: the devastating impact of man’s best friend
Great article, Shadow dear! Btw, how are you doing, well recovered?
The funniest thing I have seen in a long time was a dog (Golden Retriever) carrying his or her own “poo bag” during a walk, do you do that also or has Chris to carry it? Whoever does carry and dispose the dog poo bag, thanks for keeping the streets clean! SY
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Thanks a lot. I’m doing great. I’m supposed to get my stitches out tomorrow. I’m sure if you asked Chris, he would say I’m into everything (he exaggerates so). I only get into stuff that I’m curious about.
Speaking of the surgery, now that I’ve been snipped, am I supposed to bark like a Chihuahua? I’m a 60 pound lab, I don’t think that’s right… : P
Do I carry a “poo bag”? Okay, please remember that I’m the alpha dog, and as such I have a reputation to maintain. I have a human to carry the poo bag for me at all times.
Take care SY,
Shadow the Alpha Dog
Shadow´s last blog ..Dog Waste Disposal: Where will we put the poop?
This brings up a very interesting issue. My sister-in-law has recently run into this same problem. They live in an apartment unit where they are required to pick up their waste, but what do they do with it? This is a great opportunity to recycle the waste.
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This is a great article to inform dog owner like me where to dispose properly dog poop.
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Great article! I like the idea to produce electricity from dog waste! It would be very environment friendy. I hope this technology will be available in the near future. Thanks for posting!
Dear Shadow,
I am very impressed with your writing skills!! Good article. Our city is not so progressive, but we are working on it. Since Chris is your human and his dad is my human are we related?
I like that sign. Most dog walkers are pretty good, but there are a good handful who are not!
I must be dumb because it never entered my mind to just flush it. I always put it in the trash except in the winter when I just leave it (if it’s in my own yard) and it’s gone by spring.
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We have a park right behind our house, and the city has only recently installed the poop pick up bags. (Guess most people don’t think to bring their own.) If someone like Sunset Scavenger were to to put dog waste carts with biodegradable bags in our park they would have pleanty of deposits, especially if they took goose poop as well!
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Goose poop? Hmm… I wonder if that has any value to vegetable gardens.
Well, the goose poop sure turns the pond green!
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Most people don’t know this, but toxo (roundworm) eggs from improperly disposed of dog waste can stay in your soil for years! And yes they can infect humans as well as dogs. My site is mostly about coprophagia but there is a recent post about the dangers of Toxocariasis.
They live in an apartment unit where they are required to pick up their waste, but what do they do with it? This is a great opportunity to recycle the waste.
wow thats great. haha.
even dogs have contribute to green health air to us.
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