We’ve saved the icky for last, but here it is: Have you ever wondered how much poop your dog generates in a year and what happens to all that doggie doo you put in your trash can?
The answers: a medium-size dog produces about 300 pounds of solid waste each year—and most of it, sad to say, ends up buried in air-locked landfills where it can’t biodegrade no matter what kind of bag you put it in.
So, how to be green when it comes to the brown stuff? One solution s to bag it in a biodegradable bag and flush it down your home toilet. It will go to the local wastewater treatment plant, which will kill bacteria, separate out the solids and send the recycled remains back into the world.
Another alternative is to bury it in a hole in your yard and let the microorganisms take over.
Taking waste management a green step further, consider composting, either with a home-made digester made from a trash can or with a Doggie Dooley or similar septic-system product that converts waste to harmless byproducts that leach back into the soil.
Composted dog manure shouldn’t be used on fruits or vegetables you plan to eat, but it will certainly help your flowers bloom bigger and brighter. And that’s a nice reward for being green!
Photo: Dog Dooley pet-waste septic system
Posted 4/22/12
