Beyond the Pooper Scooper - Managing Your Pet's Waste the Natural Way

Nobody likes a pile of dog feces, which is probably why it is an ever present nuisance befouling the grassy areas of city and suburb alike. Anyone living in a populated area has surely seen more than one irresponsible dog owner walking their dog hastily a few blocks away to do his business without a bag in sight so they can shirk their responsibility to clean up after their pet and leave a steaming pile behind destined for some innocent person's shoe. I am not this kind of dog owner. Before I had my first puppy I had a poop bag dispenser and 5 rolls of bags and where the dogs go, it goes. I also had a pooper scooper for the yard, where the dogs do most of their business anyway, and I can honestly say the only people who have misstepped into my dog's leavings are myself and my husband. But even though my dogs and I were not leaving a recognizably vile blight on my neighborhood streets behind us where we go, we were still leaving an ugly pile of filth in the landfill where it is not so obvious. The plastic bags I was using were not biodegradable, and by putting the plastic bags inside plastic garbage bags and sending them to the dump, I was taking up unnecessary space in the landfill for biodegradable waste.

At first I could not think of how to stop this - after all, if I just left the waste to decompose in my yard I would have a swarm of flies, nowhere to walk, and my house would become the pit of the abominable stench. That wouldn't do. Luckily my husband was not new to owning dogs and told me about the Doggie Dooley. I purchased the deluxe round unit for about $50 since I have 2 large dogs and no longer set a trash bag full of poop out with the rest of my trash. It is easy to use with a pooper scooper like this flexrake - just step on the foot handle to open the septic lid and deposit the waste. The septic requires minimal maintenance, just add water and digester periodically and it does the rest. The small lid takes up minimal yard space, doesn't stand out because it is so low to the ground and can easily be hidden with ground cover in the warmer seasons. Because of the breakdown process, be sure to put in plants that like rich soil and they will grow very fast making your yard a verdant retreat rather than your dog's toilet. Most dogs will return to the area around the septic to do their business, making cleanup quick and easy. While a dog septic doesn't give off much odor when closed, you might want to cover your face while servicing or filling it because once opened it is just like opening any other septic or sewer. Do not put the septic in an enclosed or partially enclosed area. If the septic is out in the yard in open air, the stench will dissipate completely within a minute or so of closing the lid.

So now I had a septic to manage the business my dogs do at home, but still those tiny walk bags found their way into my trash can and headed off for the landfill. Though a few bags of poop per week doesn't seem like much, if you imagine those same bags over the period of a year, or the dog's life, and then multiply by all the other people who dump their dog's droppings in the trash can, well - that's a big mountain of crap wrapped up in packages that can take 100 years to decompose. At the time I had yet to hear of biodegradable, compostable plastics, but one day while looking for some new CFL bulbs I stumbled upon some kitchen bags and gave them a try. Because I was so impressed with the kitchen bags, I decided to look for compostable options for my other bag needs and found the BioBag compostable pet bags. At around a quarter a bag, they don't break the bank. Since my area does not have a community compost, and I don't want to fill my compost barrel with dog feces, and I don't want to put bags in my septic, I choose to bury the bag and feces alike where the micro-organisms in the ground make quick work of turning the bag and feces into a beneficial part of the ecosystem. The bags might work in the septic, and maybe next year in the heat of summer when it is at peak efficiency, I will give it a shot with a single bag. For those with a larger yard, composting at home would be the best option, and for those with community compost - well, if you have that option you are phenominally lucky and I am envious.

I like the BioBag products because the company is so transparent about their test results and the bags are certified in the US (including the super strict state of California) and Europe. They are also made of sustainable materials - corn starch! There are some products out there labeled as biodegradable plastics that are actually mixed type plastics that break into smaller chunks during the decomposition process that can be consumed by birds and other small animals before decomposition is complete. The biobags will completely and uniformly decompose in almost any environment, the exception being sealed landfills where the oxygen and bacteria cannot do their job, but this is true of any material placed in such a landfill and is yet another reason why sealed landfills are so bad. BioBag also makes other compost, trash bag items and even an eco-friendly human toilet for campers. With the help of companies like BioBag and products like pet septics we can help reduce the migration of biodegradable waste to the landfills and start naturally returning it to the Earth where it belongs.

City Composting (that won't get you run out of town by an angry mob)

Composting brings up images in the minds of most people of an ugly, stinky pile of refuse rotting in the corner of the yard. I guess if you have 1/2 acre or more and sufficient established tree or shrub cover, that's not a problem. If you happen to be like most urban (or even many suburban) people, this may conjure up images of angry, torch and shovel weilding neighbors banging your door down in the middle of the night. All right - maybe not the torches and shovels - but certainly nasty association letters if you are subject to such and unpleasant looks and snide comments if you are not. Since most people generally want to get along with those around them, this is not the kind of attention you want, not to mention if you're anything like me you take pride in the beauty of your land, however little you may have, and don't want a huge rotting eyesore, not even in the corner. You may not know there are other options - options that will blend in and may even add to the attractiveness of your land while generating some nutrient rich, free topsoil for your spring planting. Certainly the refuse pile is the most well known type of compost, but here are some options for the single family home with a small yard, duplex or townhome, and even apartment or condo. There are many different types and sizes of composting container, ranging from large outdoor bins to mug sized cigarette butt composts. There are compostable trash can liners of all sizes, and even compostable dog waste bags so you can dispose of your best friend's feces in an environmentally friendly manner. As long as you are careful not to throw inappropriate items (such as fat, bones and meat) into the compost, they are virtually odorless when closed. When I discovered just how easy it is I was amazed that everyone doesn't have a compost! OUTDOOR BINS There are three basic types of outdoor bin composts - stationary, tumblers and vermicompost. They come in different colors and styles to blend into your landscaping, but if you live in a cooler climate, you would do well to get a black one in order to make the most of the available solar heat even during the winter. The stationary bin is the most basic kind and requires the least amount of effort on your part. They look like a barrel or refuse bin depending on the kind you choose and come in a range of sizes. Be sure to pick one that will hold about the right amount of compostable material for your family size (for the stationary bins and tumblers go a size up if you feel you will be in between). They cost anywhere from $80-400, but they are really all the same. My personal favorite is The Outside Gourmet - for just $95 it looks like a quality refuse bin and would look nice right next to the others. I suggest you get some compost accelerator to get things going, and if you do not have balanced items to toss in, continue to purchase it. At about $3-4 per pound, it is easy to afford. Tumblers are also relatively simple to use and are mounted on legs so you can rotate the bin to mix your compost. This is nice, since nobody likes to stick something in a bin of rotting organic matter to mix it up. They are a little more expensive than the stationary bin, but if you can afford it they are worth the extra money. They are designed for different size spaces with some rotating vertically and others horizontally. The horizontal ones are great if you have a short space like a deck or porch you want to use to hide it. One of the ones that really broke the mold is the Composphere - at $146 this cute little ball rolls around to mix the compost and then rolls under anything. It looks like anything but a compost. The final kind of outdoor compost I will cover is vermicompost (there are some open styles that don't really work for the urban composter). This is the most complex type of compost because it utilizes worms to aid the breakdown of the organic matter rather than enzymes alone. I cannot reasonably cover all the research necessary to start a vermicompost here, but the article above does a fantastic job of teaching what you will need to know to start off. I'd also recommend getting a book to learn about how to care for your worms. The type of worm I see recommended the most is the red wiggler. These miniature earthworms are more likely than other worms to make their home in your compost provided you provide them with their basic necessities and have voracious appetites. The goal of a vermicompost is to encourage a large number of worms to consume your refuse and the castings then become your dirt. Worm castings are excellent nutrition for plants, and the worms that make it out to your garden will aerate the soil, naturally improving plant growth. Vermicompost bins are comparable in price to the stationary bins and I like this expandable one here. That being said, vermicompost does take a lot of extra work and is not for the short of time, so I had to pass this one by. So it's easy to have a clean compost, even with a small yard, but who really wants to deal with going outside every time you want to scrape your plate, clean your refrigerator, or if you are a smoker, empty your ashtray. It was so much easier when you could just hover over the garbage can and you didn't have to get dressed and put on shoes after your midnight snack. You still don't! With a miniature compost pail with compostable liner, you can fill a smaller version of your kitchen trash can and empty it at predetermined intervals or whenever it is full, just like your trash can. COMPOST PAILS There are as many styles of compost pail as there are kitchen, and it is important to note that you cannot use a compost pail alone. For standalone indoor composts, go down to the indoor compost section. A compost pail is designed to collect your compostable refuse in a compostable bag until you are ready to take it outside. Ranging in price from $10-80 these pails are designed to look like mugs, canisters, and buckets. For the environmentally conscious smoker, there is even a cigarette recycler. If you like the plain look, and want to save some money, go for the plain $20 pail, but if you have a little more to spend and want a compost pail that blends into your kitchen, try one of these fancy ones that look like any other kitchen storage (just be sure your guests don't mistake them for your canister set and try to put compost in their coffee!). Regardless of the type of pail you choose, you will need to purchase some compostable liners unless you want to clean it after every use. For the small investment, these liners will save you a lot of time. Outdoor composts are all fine and good for those of us that have a yard, but what about people who live in townhomes with no private yard, apartments or condos? There is a solution for you too - an indoor compost! But who wants a rotting pile of leftovers in their kitchen? Since the bins are designed for exactly that use, though, you will never notice it and people will wonder how you have the best flowerboxes in the neighborhood come spring! INDOOR BINS Indoor bins come in all shapes and sizes, and some are very high tech. The best of the indoor bins will even handle refuse often referred to as non-compostable such as meat and dairy. This indoor compost (or the pet safe version of the same one) does all the work for you - all you have to do is put in the refuse. It even kills harmful bacteria to make sure it is completely safe for your family and because it works with a sealed chamber the only odor you will ever get is the smell of fresh, clean dirt when you remove the finished product. Unfortunately this exotic composter carries an exotic price tag, ranging around $400. For those of us that don't have that kind of money to drop on a composter, there are some lower tech, lower price options that are just as effective, albeit not as much of a conversation piece. This cost effective $70 kitchen composter uses anaerobic fermentation to make the compost right in your kitchen without the odor of outdoor composting methods and only takes up about a square foot of space so you can fit it anywhere. This small compost is designed for food refuse so it is perfect for a home without a private yard.