I don’t have a dog, but I constantly see people walking their dog, picking up after them, and then wondering what to do with it. Last week Jonathon blogged about the conundrum of what to do with pet poo – throw it away in a biodegradable bag or compost it?
Not only is it questionable how well biodegradable bag decompose in the landfill, but it’s messy (what happens when it explodes in a garbage truck?). Composting dog waste just seems like most environmentally friendly option. The City Farmer has developed a DIY method to create a dedicated dog waste compost in your yard.
Dog Waste Composter
Here are the step-by-step instructions:
- Take and old garbage can and drill a dozen or so holes in the side.
- Cut out the bottom (A keyhole saw works great for this.)
- Dig a hole in the ground, deep enough for the garbage can.
- Toss some rocks or gravel in the hole for drainage and position the garbage can so it's a little higher than the soil level.
- Place the lid on top.
- When you scoop some poop, put it in the hole and sprinkle in some septic starter (available at hardware stores) and add some water. This is the special ingredient - septic starter, which is non-toxic, promotes natural bacterial growth.
- Within 48 hours it will have begun its work and you can add more dog doo. You can then begin to add it daily.
Note that the composted dog waste is not safe for your garden.
If you don’t have a yard, check out NatureMill’s Pet Friendly composting unit.
Top photo via City Farmer
Comments (10)
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If it's not safe for the garden, what are you supposed to do when the can fills up?
view LuckyMonkey's profile
Lucky Monkey,
According to the website, the dog waste compost can be used on ornamental gardens, but not on vegetable crops. Beyond that the waste biodegrades and flows into the subsoil and should rarely need emptying. If the compost ever gets full it can be emptied and buried underground in a safe location.
- Rachel
view Rachelw's profile
I don't know what city "City Farmer" lives in but I live in NYC and I don't have a yard. I also don't have $400 to spend on a gigantic composting unit for my small apartment, and even if I did, I don't really see myself carrying all my dog's poo back to my apartment no matter how far we walk or how may errands we run on our walks. (My dog, like many city dogs, sometimes goes with me to the dry cleaner, the wine store, etc., and bringing a bag of poo into those places is just not realistic). I love apartment therapy and its related sites but suggestions like this make me want to stay away for a few days.
view Tiny Banquet's profile
This would be a great idea for me as I have a very small yard and the waste adds up quickly. Thanks!
view sleggo's profile
Tiny, do you really expect that ever single post on AT will apply to you?
view whytephoenix's profile
I LOVE this!!! We have a lil Pomeranian, her poops are little, but they still add up. My parents have been using the daily newspaper bags to collect her dodo and then they just throw it out in the normal garbage. I knew this was a waste of good natural fertilizer ending up in a landfill and had been thinking about a solution to this. I can't wait to show my mom about this idea.
view nickel525's profile
When I someday get a dog and have a backyard i am definitely going to do this. It makes complete sense and doesn't look expensive at all. But when going for walks I'd probably bring some biodegradable bags so I wouldn't have to carry it around all day.
view Hollie's profile
Dog poo explodes in garbage trucks...?
view pb's profile
Whytephoenix, my point was that given the number of AT readers who do live in cities â to my unscientific eye, at least 1/3, maybe 1/2 â it is disingenuous to present an alternative suggestion that requires $400 a lot of space walking around with dog poop all day.
view Tiny Banquet's profile
I want to urge caution when composting dog pop and to advise that you NEVER compost cat poop. (herbavore poo presents none of the parasite problems of carnivores and omnivores.)
Unfortunately, cat poor can carry the very dangerous parasite called toxoplasmosis. It is the reason pregnant women are warned not to change the cat's litter box, as it is very dangerous. In humans, it is suspected to increase the chances of/cause schizophrenia, and is occasionally fatal. It has different effects on other mammals. It is also VERY difficult to get rid of. A professor of mine who is in the process of getting a grant for researching its effects on otters said that the only thing she knew to do was double bag your cat litter.
I don't know if dogs have similar parasites, I don't think they do, however, it would make me a bit wary without a lot of research of composting my dog poo, when so many people warn against it because of potential parasites in the dog poo. Personally, I'll stick to only composting the poo of my herbavore pets. Better in a landfill making no one sick than in my garden maybe making my family and neighboors sick, even if it isn't very green.
view Magelet's profile