What's the best way to dispose of dog waste?

A sign in suburbia

Photo by Flickr user johannal

Ann Arbor hasn't passed a plastic shopping bag ban yet. But with many stores phasing them out, dog owners may be finding themselves in short supply of bags to dispose of waste.

A story today from the (Portland ) Oregonian addresses the issue, which is front and center there as measures to ban plastic shopping bags are being considered at City Hall and in the state Capitol.

The article lays out several options for disposing of pet waste: using biodegradable pet waste bags (takes too much energy/resources to produce), flushing it down the toilet (a strain on the sewer system), re-using plastic bread and newspaper bags (not a bad idea).

But the best method, according to the article, is a pet waste compost pile. It states:

That's where some of the pet-store bags come in handy, finally. Some brands are compostable (if you plan on using them this way, make sure the bags are specifically labeled as such, and not just as biodegradable). You can pick up your dog's waste, carry it home and put it in the pile or one of the special composters available for this purpose (search online for "dog composter" for several recommendations).

But don't go throwing dog feces on the same pile as potato peels and coffee grounds.

A typical backyard compost pile doesn't generate enough heat to kill the bacteria in the waste.

Tags: dogs