Green Calgary

Making Good with Pet Poo

Reader Question

Ashley,

My wife and I are avid reducers and recyclers and we’ve gotten our waste down to almost nothing, with the exception of pet waste. We have one cat and one dog and, believe it or not, they produce an outrageous amount of waste. We hate putting this stuff into the garbage. We figure there must be a better way but we haven’t a clue where to start. Might you offer a suggestion?

With regards,

Ruth & Allen

Ashley's Answer

Dear Ruth & Allen,

Calgarians, it would appear, have a real fondness for their pets. If they aren’t wining and dining them, they’re dropping them off at the local daycare to sharpen their social skills or, perhaps, at one of the growing number of pet spas in and around Calgary. There are dog-blogs and several owners have felt it necessary to create Facebook profiles for their furry little friends. But in a city with 110,242 dogs and 107,514 cats, pet waste presents real challenges, particularly with tens of millions of kilograms of pet waste entering Calgary landfills every year. Though having a pet may feel like an eco-sin to some, simply dealing with their waste differently can make an incredible difference. And, believe it or not, keeping pet waste out of the landfill isn’t all that difficult.

Perhaps one of the simplest and best options for dealing with pet waste is to purchase or make a “digester”. Simply put, a digester is a modified compost bin (without the holes) used for the disposal of pet waste. You can also add meat, bones, dairy, and other processed food. But unlike composting where oxygen is encouraged through poking or stirring the pile, digestion is anaerobic (without oxygen) and is fairly hands-off.

Whether you purchase a commercial digester or make your own, the basic set up involves digging a small hole (several feet deep) - either sinking the entire bin or slightly emerging it – and depositing the pet waste into the hole with a sprinkling of septic powder, such as Septonic (available at Canadian Tire and Rona stores). The pet waste will decompose in a few months, settling and shrinking substantially in volume, while also feeding the plants and trees surrounding the site. You will want to keep this separate and away from the vegetable garden to avoid any issues with contamination. Once the hole comes up close to ground level, usually in two to ten years, simply cover it with a bit of topsoil and start the process over again.

Commercial digesters are available at Green Calgary’s EcoStore for $108, but for the handy types a homemade digester is just as effective. I’ve uploaded a few instructional videos on the Green Calgary website to get people started. All a person needs is a plastic garbage can, a few tools, a shovel and a strong back. I made my digester for about $12, and it took less than an hour to get it up and running.

Now once the digester is in place, dog owners will want to avoid adding plastic bags to the pile. Compostable bio-plastic bags are available and these can be tossed in without a problem. It’s important to select “compostable” bags and not those simply marked biodegradable. Many biodegradable plastics (or “degradable” plastics) are simply conventional plastics with additives that speed up breakdown; they do not actually turn into compost and it is wise to avoid these plastics altogether.

For those folks with cats, avoiding bentonite clay cat litters (the vast majority on the market) is essential, as they will not decompose. Biodegradable and renewable options exist, including: Swheat Scoop – a cat litter made from naturally processed wheat (non-food grade); Yesterday’s News  – made from recycled newspapers; Feline Pine - made from compressed sawdust reclaimed from sawmills; and One Earth Cat Litter, which uses fast clumping corn cob granules (Available at Community Natural Foods). All of these litters are biodegradable and fully compostable. Add them to the digester and they’ll break down nicely.

Now without getting too off track, I would like to encourage every pet owner to look at what they are feeding their pets. I say this because if we are trying to lessen our environmental impact, we should be choosing foods that meet this end. Many foods found at the major grocery chains, and even those from some vets, are arrangements of nutrient deficient, poor quality ingredients. Sticking to a “species-appropriate” diet will be better for your pet, better the earth and you’ll have less pet waste to deal with, as more of the nutrients from the food will be absorbed. For more information on pet food and species-appropriate diets click here.

Happy digesting,

Ashley

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