Eddie's Blog
About Eddie: I'm a dog on a mission. With your help, I'm going to change legislation in the U.S. to make sure chemicals are safe before they're put on the market. Read more or contact Eddie.
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Recently in Eddie's world:
Big Poo-ha-ha
Eddie says: "This post is from my fellow green crusader Cedar--she even has a cape, and a book! I invited her to write a guest post, and she came up with this helpful advice on what to do with pet poop."
Everyone seems to be all in a wag about dog poop. Oh, I know everyone wants Denver to be sparkling for the big party here in a couple of weeks and I agree, let's strut our stuff. Even the two-leggeds over at Keep it Clean Denver are running public service radio ads urging people to pick up after their dog. Now how cool is that, dog poop finally getting the attention it deserves.
For an eco-dog like me it's a no-brainer; if you Gotta Dog, You Walk the Dog, You Pick up the Poop. It doesn't matter where it is--your yard or anywhere on your walk, just pick it up!
I give Englewood, CO paws-up for passing its 72-hour-from-pooch-to-bag ruling. Imagine if you were a dog and had to maneuver heaps of poop in your yard every day for weeks. The 2-leggeds flush and it's on its way to the sewage treatment plant but it's not that easy for us.
I know from talking to pet parents there are many who still believe dog poop is fertilizer. They feel they are doing the earth a favor by leaving dog doo to decompose. Not true, it depends on the pooper. Based on the "crap" some dogs and cats are fed no wonder our poop has become an environmental toxin. The nitrogen content of dog poop is especially high as we are "meat eaters" Good plant fertilizer needs digested plant matter.
When pet parents don't bag the poop, the disease-causing bacteria in our poop mixes with storm water runoff and it meanders untreated into our waterways. Storm water is typically not treated at a sewage treatment plant so it is full of harmful microbes—-those are hungry bugs that eat gooky waste.
So, when you don't scoop the poop, water quality suffers, nutrients in pet waste promote weed and algae growth and it is all a health risk for our people. One note: It doesn't have to be fresh poop to be toxic. Those harmful organisms can hang around for a year or more.
Still not convinced, you say no big deal, well I say bull poop! It is a big deal if you care about clean water.
In my eco-talks, I remind the two-leggeds to reflect on our numbers. On average dogs poop nearly 0.33 pounds of solid waste a day in thousands of cities and towns across America. This stuff adds up to tons when you consider there are 75 million dogs in the U.S.
Finally, where do you put it? I say pick up the poop using a biodegradable or compostable dog-bag, then flush the poop, minus the bag. I know the storm water people are happy if you just pick it up. If you are a Doggone Green Crusader or wanna be, enlighten your pet parents to phase out newspaper or plastic grocery bags. They just create another problem, as they last forever in the landfills. If you are uncomfortable flushing it, toss it in the trash after you tie it up. There are additional choices but you will need to read my book for those.
I say make the planet smile, and take care of doggie business.
So Eddie, how does flushing the doggy doodoo down the toilet keep the toxins out of our waterways??? Aren't they going into the sewer system at that point anyway?
Do you believe in composting? I hear that toxins and pathogens are killed off by hot composting. Any thoughts?
Kittylover, I know you asked for Eddie's opinion, but I've been doing some research on pet poo (mostly of the feline variety) so I can answer your question.
Dog poo is okay to flush. Cat poo is not because it contains a parasite called toxoplasmosis gondii that waste treatment plants cannot treat. That it is, it goes into drinking water and into waterways, which is especially bad for animals like sea otters, who can get sick or even die from toxoplasmosis. And if you're not worried about your animal brethren, you might be concerned about the health of your human friends who are pregnant (toxoplasmosis causes birth defects) or whose immune systems are compromised. (I'm about to publish a post about these issues and more.)
Composting is safer when you're talking about dog poo, too, but it's still tricky. Dog poo can contain parasites like roundworm eggs that need high heat or a worm box to be eliminated. It's not the kind of thing I'd recommend a weekend hobbyist gardener to try. Installing a digester could help, though!
I was wondering where you obtained your 0.33 lbs of poop/day on average. I'm working on a pet waste pickup campaign and I'm trying to get a bead on a reliable statistic for average dog poop weight. There seem to be major disparities among the estimates out there.
I flush my dog's poops down the toilet with a flushable dog poop bag. Most eco-friendly way to get ride of poops.
The company is called Flush Doggy.
There are flushable dog poop bags. The best answer probably because dog poop can get treated just as your poop is.
FlushDoggy, is a fully biodegradable, flushable(water soluble) dog poop bag that is very eco-friendly. Dog poops are best to be flushed down the toilet and degrade naturally , just as our own poops. Stop destroying our earth and start educating the public, one poop at a time. Be a responsible owner and go green for our pets.
flushdoggy.com offers FREE SAMPLE TO TRY !
Flushable Dog Poop Bags
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Telephone/Fax: 310-548-DOGS
Website: www.walkthedogmfg.com
SACK THOSE PLASTIC BAGS: THERE’S A BETTER, GREENER WAY
Even Lucky Can Help Save The Environment---One Flush At A Time
Southern California, July 2008-- For many years, plastic bags have been the product of choice for pet waste disposal. This was considered the responsible method for picking up after your pooch “did his business”. Given the staggering number of plastic bags filling up landfills, clogging drains, and floating around in the ocean, THE NEED FOR CHANGE IS NOW. L.A County residents alone walk a dog without picking up the droppings more than 62,000 times per month (L.A. Count Dept. of Public Works pamphlet). That’s only one area of California. Now think about how many across the entire United States. Picking up after your dog is only half of the solution. With the growing number of dogs throughout the U.S., there needs to be a change in the way Lucky’s “business” is disposed of.
One company leading the way today for a greener tomorrow, particularly in the pet industry, is WALK THE DOG PET PRODUCTS, a family-based business dedicated to providing eco-friendly pet products at an affordable price. Started in 2007, by a firefighter and his stay-at-home wife of ten years, WALK THE DOG offers 100% BIODEGRADABLE, FLUSHABLE Bio-Pickup Bags. These bags are water-soluble because they are made out of a Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Film and are flushable in any standard toilet. The company which manufactures these PVA bags have been doing so since 2003 and they are committed to developing high-quality products while adhering to EPA standards. “We wanted to come up with a convenient and earth-friendly way to dispose of our pet’s waste without further damaging the environment,” said Maria Kusar, one of WALK THE DOG’S co-owners. “If you think about it, what do we do with our own body waste-- we flush it down the toilet. So it only makes sense to do the same with out pet’s [waste].” Flushing sends the waste through a sewage treatment plant which prevents bacterial contamination. Ms. Kusar also stated that if the bag is not being flushed it will biodegrade in about 30-90 days. What sets these guys apart from the other guys is that these bags are flushable making them truly 100% biodegradable.
Besides the flushable poop bags which are neatly packaged like travel tissue packs, perfect for on the go, WALK THE DOG also offers a Pet Poop Pouch. This is a must-have little black bag that attaches to the leash or belt of dog walker. Used together with the bio-pickup bags, it discreetly stores your pet’s waste until proper disposal becomes available. No more dangling plastic bags swaying in the breeze, hanging off a leash, or worse, tied around poor Lucky’s collar which seems to say, “Hey this is yours...you carry it!” The pouch is also helpful in storing keys, wallet, MP3 players, or other small personal items. You could even use it to hold treats if not temporarily storing pet waste.
This company definitely has the right idea when it comes to providing products for the RESPONSIBLE pet owner and they are taking one small step towards a greener planet. Not bad for two small town high school sweethearts with passion and a dream.
WALK THE DOG PET PRODUCTS is committed to helping the environment—
ONE FLUSH AT A TIME.
For more information, visit www.walkthedogmfg.com.
At Pethabitats.com, we manufacture the original, patented 100% flushable waste bag and a convenient pack that carries both used and unused bags. They are strong enough to not break down prematurely yet thin enough to easily flush in any toilet without clogging pipes. This also keeps waste out of the local landfills where it can pollute our water supply. Many cities are passing ordinances that prohibit the disposal of pet waste in garbage cans. Composting does not work as the environment does not get hot enough to kill the germs in pet waste. Go to our website for a free sample.
I flush my dog's poops down the toilet with a flushable dog poop bag. Most eco-friendly way to get rid of dog poop.There are flushable dog poop bags.
The best answer probably because dog poop can get treated just as your poop is. Throwing dog poop in the trash overcrowds our landfills and pollutes our water system.
http://www.flushdoggy.com offers FREE SAMPLE TO TRY !
Hi,
you mention that dog waste is especially high in nitrogen due to the amounts of meat consumed. But what if the pooch eats pellets? I mean, I know there are lots of chemicals in these and this question is not necessarily for myself, but just in general. Anyway, back to the point of dog waste: I found this and thought it looks quite interesting: Doggie Loo
Now the only thing I am wondering about is if the large amounts of nitrogen get broken down? What would you suppose?
Fantastic post Eddie. Bookmarked this site and emailed it to a few friends, your post was that great, keep it up.
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