A Colorado initiative

Experimentation and production of DOGGONE GOOD COMPOST® began in late Summer 2008 at a commercial composting site North of Denver, Colorado. Dog waste from the Broomfield County Commons Dog Park and the Westminster Hills Dog Park was combined with pine bark, natural enzymes and mychorrizae and commercially composted, cured, tested and bagged. Waste collection, composting, distribution and sales are currently limited to the Denver Metro area to minimize transport. The finished product is now being sold at local retail centers.

Composting reduces the volume of dog waste by approximately 50%, so a large amount of raw material will be needed for production. For this reason, "contributions" by municipalities, parks and trails services, nonprofit shelters, and kennels will be essential. See the KMGH Channel 7 news clip on how the program works in Westminster.

Participation and benefits

In 2010 EnviroWagg started a collection route along the Santa Fe Drive - I-25 corridor from Englewood to Weld County. Pick-up sites include Canine Corral off-leash park and partner busineses that dispose of large quantities of dog waste. EnviroWagg will haul and compost waste for a fee comparable to other recyclers. Participating dog parks will not only be ridding themselves of an unwanted mess. Collecting dog waste in public areas for the purpose of composting offers opportunities to

• educate constituents about sustainability and local environment issues,
• encourage participation in other local recycling programs,
• motivate dog owners to pick up after their pets,
• support the use of compostable bags and responsible disposal, and
• defuse antagonism between dog owners and non-dog owners by keeping public spaces clean.

Dog daycares and shelters that contribute their dog waste are showing their donors and customers that they take responsibility for a safe, clean, sustainable environment. EnviroWagg will be contacting potential clients as transport routes are established and drop-off locations for "clean" waste are established. Information will be posted at this site as it becomes available.

What is "clean" waste?

Only "clean" dog waste is acceptable for composting. Waste mixed with trash and plastic pick-up bags cannot be adequately composted because regular petroleum-based plastic bags do not biodegrade. Large quantities of this material overwhelms the normal screening process. EnviroWagg's goal is to produce a quality product that is free of contaminents.

In order to meet this requirement, groups and individuals who want to contribute dog waste for composting will need to

• maintain separate receptacles for dog waste and trash and affix signage to avoid mixing
• collect only dog waste that is bagless or
• provide and deposit only commercial doggie pick-up bags compatible with composting, including compostable bags (formulated to meet ASTM D-6400), paper bags, and oxo-biodegradable bags (plastic bags that fragment due to starch injection).
  

Not ready for composting, but want to take a first step?

To discourage use of plastic pick-up bags and subsequent disposal into landfills, EnviroWagg will provide parks and trails managers with large quantities of oxo-biodegradable bags at prices competitive to or lower than plastic bags. Installing dispensers with oxo-biodegradable bags and educating dog owners about their exclusive use is a first step toward setting up a composting program.

For information on low cost options for eliminating plastic bags and installing oxo-bio bag stations, email envirowagg@comcast.net.

All recycling requires planning and effort.

This dog waste composting project is no exception. But doing the right thing is its own reward.

"Throwing something away can be fun, let's admit it; but giving a guilt free gift to the natural world is an incomparable pleasure." Cradle to Cradle / Remaking the Way We Make Things, William McDonough and Michael Braungart, North Point Press, 2002

If you are interested in contributing dog waste for composting, now of in the future, contact us at envirowagg@comcast.net for details.

Read more

Want to build a simple dog waste septic device for your yard? Three sets of do-it-yourself instructions:
City Farmer, Canada's Office of Urban Agriculture, offers instructions as well as other useful solutions.
Dog Waste Compost - YouTube video instructions
How to Build a Dog Waste Septic System

Florida's Online Composting Center provides instructions and precautions to use when yard composting dog waste: http://www.compostinfo.com/tutorial/DogWaste.htm