Can you compost dog poop/waste?
Its believed that there is over 900 million dogs owned in the world, creating 2 billion tons of poop a year! That is a lot of poop - and a lot of waste going into landfill.
Dog poop is organic matter and thus, totally compostable, and in the right conditions, will compost down in a year. Though, it will not compost down if its in a plastic bag, so you must make sure that its in a compostable poo bag, preferably made from corn starch.
As dogs can have parasites and pathogens in their poop, if its in a well-managed home compost bin, it will break down within a year - however, its better to use it as a non-edible compost, so don’t put it on your veggies!
When composting, you need to make sure that you have the right conditions for it to compost effectively. It needs the right level of heat, oxygen and water. However as dog poop is often nitrogen based, it needs to be composted with something carbon based, such as sawdust!
Nitrogen materials are your “wet” materials, dog waste, green grass clippings and vegetable waste work best. Carbon materials that can be used are things like sawdust, straw or hay, and shredded newspaper.
To start composting dog waste, you will need:
Two bins, one to contain the composting materials and one to actively compost in,
A shovel to turn the compost,
A long-stemmed thermometer,
A water supply. (Water from a garden hose is okay but you may want to let the water sit in the sun to get warm before adding it to compost. Cold water will lower the temperature of the compost and it needs to stay warm to kill the bacteria/parasites.)
Step-by-step on how to compost dog waste:
Drill holes in the side of your trash bin that will hold the compost. Put the bin in a sunny, dry area.
As you add one part dog waste (nitrogen material), add two parts sawdust (carbon material). Mix thoroughly after every time you add.
Every few days you can add a shovel full of old compost on to the pile to speed up digestion. If you are just beginning then you can use soil from your garden.
Make sure to keep the pile moist! You should add water in small amounts so they compost has the texture of a wet sponge.
When your bin is full you should cover it with a bin lid, so the microbes can get to work.
Now you can start taking the temperature of the compost. When the temperature starts to decline, usually after about two weeks, you should turn the pile.
Cure your finished compost for several months before using it, do not use dog waste on edible plants!
The benefits:
Less waste ending up in landfill.
Less likely to pollute our streams.
A really healthy garden, plants and trees!
