Plastic Reduction Challenge Day 71: Use Compostable Pet Bags

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We are over two thirds of the way through this 90 day challenge! How’s everyone doing? In the last 3 weeks we are going to focus on kids and pets and then look at our consumption as a whole. There is still a lot to cover, so let’s get to it.

The first challenge this week is for you pet lovers out there. Every animal poops and it has got to go somewhere. Most municipalities have regulations in place and you must pick up waste from your pet in communal areas. So if you are out walking your dog, you need to have some way to collect that waste, which usually means a plastic bag. But no matter where it happens, you need to make sure that disposal is done in a way that is safe for our water. Any feces left on grass or roadways can run off into the storm drain and eventually into our waterways, harming other wildlife. I also recently learned that burying feces is also not a good option as any bacteria or parasites can be carried into the ground water. If you have a furry friend at home, take the challenge today to make sure you are responsibly disposing of pet waste.

Today’s Challenge: Find a plastic free way to dispose of pet waste

Here are some options:

Flush: According to the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Resources Defense Council, the best way to dispose of dog waste is to flush it at home (here is a good article with the facts). Use toilet paper or a scooper to pick it up. Cat feces should never be flushed as most water treatment plants cannot remove a common parasite, called toxoplasmosis. In any case, you should check with your local sewage treatment plant to see what is safest in your area.
Garbage: If picking up dog waste at home and flushing it is too gross for you, then pick it up with a pooper scooper and place directly into the garbage.
Bio-bags: When I’m out walking my dog, I use these Bio-bags to collect the waste and then toss it into the garbage. Although after doing some research for this post, I am going to start flushing the waste when I get home. The bags cannot be flushed as they will clog up most sewage pipes. If you are a cat owner, you can use these bags to throw out the litter.
Compost: Even though Bio-bags are compostable, you should NOT compost dog waste at home. Some municipal composting companies will accept pet waste. My local dog park has a disposal just for pet waste composting. If you have this service easily accessible to you, consider dropping off your pet bio-bags on your next errand run. Bio-bags work well to dispose of cat waste and litter too, but you must throw them in the garbage. Chicken and rabbit manure can be composted at home. Chicken poop is considered “hot” fertilizer though and can burn or kill plants if it hasn’t been composted for at least 6 months. Rabbit manure can be added directly to plant beds or composted if desired.