When planning a pet waste recycling program, it’s important to find out the amount of pet waste that your project will be tackling. This data will be key to choosing options and applying for grants. Here are formulas for arriving at the numbers you’ll need. If your project includes dogs and cats,  simply add totals for both.

DOGS

– The average dog produces .75 lb. of waste per day.
– Sixty percent of urban dog waste is picked up and deposited in bins.

Medium scale project – 100-300 pets per day
– Determine the number of dog visitors or clients served per day.
– Multiply that number by .75 for daily weight of waste.
– Alternately, you can set up a dog-waste-only bin and weigh the bin daily or weekly. Subtract the weight of the empty bin.
– Simple multiplication will take you to anticipated monthly or annual weight.

Large-scale projects – more than 300 pets per day

If a large park or event, follow the directions above for a medium scale project.

Residential waste from towns, cities or other jurisdictions
– Determine the number of households (see recent census).
– To find out the number of dogs, multiply households by .53.
– Multiply the number of dogs by .75 and you’ll have the weight of dog waste produced within the community per day.
– Simple multiplication will take you to anticipated monthly or annual weight.

CATS

– The average cat produces .3 lb. of waste and litter waste per day.
This does not include cat litter resulting from litter box dumps, estimated at more than two million tons of clay litter each year.
– Alternately, you can set up a cat-waste-and litter-only bin and weigh the bin daily or weekly. Subtract the weight of the empty bin.
– Simple multiplication will take you to anticipated monthly or annual weight.

Medium scale project – 100-300 pets per day
– Determine the number of cat visits/clients served per day.
– Multiply that number by .3 for daily weight of waste.
– Alternately, you can set up a cat-waste-only bin and weigh the bin daily or weekly. Subtract the weight of the empty bin.
– Simple multiplication will take you to anticipated monthly or annual weight.

Large-scale projects – more than 300 pets per day
Residential waste from towns, cities or other jurisdictions
– Determine the number of households (see recent census)., determine the number of households (see recent census).
– To find out the number of cats, multiply households by .38.
The average cat owner has two cats, but 50% of cats are outdoor cats, so we’ll go with one cat per household.
– Multiply the number of cats by .3 and you’ll have the weight of cat waste produced within the community per day.
Simple multiplication will take you to anticipated monthly or annual weight.