Dog, Poo Poo, Plastic bags and Pollution

By The Dog Poop Whisperer

Dead end road to the landfill near the Denver International Airport (DIA)

It was from My Obsession with People Picking Up Dog Poop that I realized how non-existent practical solutions are to Dog Owners for picking up, transporting, and disposing of Dog poop. My curiosity draws me to inquire further. What is the harm associated with leaving dog excrement in their natural environment?

It is widely recognized that human wastes, in very high concentrations, are extremely harmful to the ecology of waterways and landforms. Is the same true for animal waste? Wastes containing fecal matter are derived from several common sources such as residential septic systems, waste water treatment plants, domestic and wild animals, to name a few. Studies of water pollution from fecal matter have determined roughly 20 percent of it comes from pets and dogs. They are carried by storm water runoff directly into our rivers without any treatment. Fecal contamination presents human health hazards and harms the environment. Decomposition of fecal matter, if discharged into rivers, reduces dissolved oxygen levels enough to kill fish and other aquatic life. Feces are also a source for diseases. Coli form bacteria, salmonella, and giardia are harbored by dogs. These spread through feces and causes health issues in people. The American Pet Product Association reports that approximately 77 million owned dogs reside in the United States. That equates to approximately 47% of households owning at least one dog. Degradation of the environment and water quality is a real issue.
Many dog owners understand the implications and do their part in picking up, transporting, and disposing of Dog poop typically using plastic bags. The harm with the current practice is the excessive use of plastic bags or products.

It is estimated that 500 billion all purpose plastic bags are used annually worldwide. In the United States, even if only 30% of the dog owners pick up after their dogs, the volume of plastic bags consumed can quickly reach 17 billion annually which ultimately end up in landfills. Simply put, modern landfills are primarily designed to “preserve” wastes rather than to promote decomposition. Designed to inhibit the penetration of sunlight and oxygen, plastic materials can take 1000 years to decompose while paper and organic materials more than 50 and 10 years, respectively.
Through the years, I have grown to appreciate that pet waste management, especially for Dogs, is an important problem affecting not only owners but also the environment. Pet waste management is vital in slowing down the degradation of water quality and the spread of diseases. The real challenge remains with the development of effective and practical pet waste management products that also reduce the amount of wastes that ends up in landfills.

An aircraft above the landfill near Denver International Airport (DIA)

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