If you own a dog, you know how important it is to clean up after your furry friend. But do you know how to dispose of dog poo at home UK without harming the environment or your health? This article will show you the best ways to get rid of dog poo using different types of bags and methods, and what to avoid when doing so.
So, how to dispose of dog poo at home uk without damaging the environment? Let’s find out.
Key Takeaways
- Dog poo is not recyclable and can pose health and environmental risks if not disposed of properly.
- There are different types of bags to collect dog poo, such as biodegradable, degradable, and compostable.
- There are various methods to dispose of dog poo at home, such as flushing, burying, composting, wormery, and septic tank.
- There are some things to avoid when disposing of dog poo, such as flicking, burning, hanging, or leaving it in the garden.
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How To dispose Of Dog Poo At Home Uk?
When you are out with your furry friend, make sure you have biodegradable poop bags with you. If you don’t have the bag, you can also use a random newspaper you picked from a local restaurant or café while strolling outside. Regardless, dog trainers and environmental experts insist on using biodegradable dog poop bags.
Dispose of the poo
Firstly, turn the bag inside out and wear it like a glove. Make sure you have a good grip on the poop without actually touching it.
Reach down to pick up the poop and use your other hand to reverse the bag. This way, you can prevent your hands from getting dirty. So, what bin does dog poo go in? Well, the type of disposal bag you have will indicate where the dog poop must go in.
Material of the bag
It’s important you know what material or type is your disposal bag. For instance, degradable and biodegradable bags will break down in the environment after some time. Whereas, the compostable ones will get back into nature after disposal.
You are probably wondering how to spot the difference between these bags. Let’s understand each of them briefly to see how to make the distinction.
- Biodegradable poo bags
In general, biodegradable poo bags are made in such a way that they will break down within a few months. The material consists of microorganisms that facilitate this breakdown. In addition, it retains the mix of petroleum or corn as well.
After it breaks down, the bag will get mixed in the landfill leaving no microplastic behind. However, it’s not necessary that it’ll cut down the microplastic pollution, because many such bags are made of plastics.
- Degradable poo bags
In comparison to biodegradable bags, degradable poop bags take less time to decompose. For instance, a biodegradable bag may take about 12-18 months, whereas, a degradable one will roughly take about 4-6 months to decompose.
- Compostable poo bags
Compostable bags are the quickest to degrade. They are made using biological materials such as starch or sugarcane. Now because they retain biological elements, they take about 90 days to degrade completely. Post degradation you may observe traces of CO2 and water.
Now, you probably know which bag is suitable for disposing of the poo. So, disposing of dog poo using proper bags is not that hard. But, what are some ways you can ensure environmental safety?
Environment-Friendly Dog Poop Disposal Methods
While, disposing of dog poop in the regular trash is a common method, doing so can cause some issues down the line. One of the common issues is the plastic bag the dog poop just won’t break down. Such material plastics need to get burnt and the release of smoke is not good for the environment.
So, here are some of the methods you can consider to maintain environmental safety while getting rid of your dog’s poo.
#1 Flush the dog poop in the toilet
This method is easy and doesn’t involve disposing of plastic bags. You can easily empty the poop bag into the toilet and then flush it down. Yes, the bag will go in your regular trash, but, the methane proportion is less in the environment.
Further, if you are comfortable using the scoop to lift up the poop, you won’t even need the plastic bag. You can simply use it and throw the dog poop in the toilet. In case you don’t prefer the scooping, and are reluctant to use a plastic bag, try using the flushable ones.
#2 Bury the poop
If you have some space in the garden, you can avoid using any plastic bags for disposing of dog poop. Just bury the poop in the soil, it will decompose completely within a couple of weeks. However, some bacteria and parasites stay active for longer periods so it’s possible that the decomposition takes more time.
This method may appear completely safe it’s not. The remains of dog poop can compromise the health of the soil. Yes, you read that right.
#3 Composting
To compost the dog poop, you will need to create a big heap. A small heap won’t work as it will not get to the high temperature necessary to compost your dog’s poop. So, you may have to put in some effort to use a compost heap to dispose of the dog stool. For example, maintain proper levels of oxygen, and heat.
Here are some tips that will help you in making proper compost:
- Take some organic matter materials such as grass clippings, sawdust, plant matter, and some old soil matter. Mix them up with two-part dog waste.
- Temperature is a crucial aspect, so, you need to ensure that compost heat is around 160 degrees. Because the low heat will not kill the bugs or bacteria present in your dog’s poop.
- Make sure the compost doesn’t have excessive moisture. Cover it using a plastic sheet to keep it dry and also maintain the temperature and reduce the risk of extra moisture. The covers also help during the rainy season to maintain the exact composition.
- Monitor the temperature on regular basis. If your compost is retaining a proper temperature week in and week out, you will see the termination of the bacteria and other parasites within 4-5 weeks.
- After 5 weeks if the temperature is cool, it suggests that the degradation process is complete.
- While dealing with compost make sure you avoid these things:
- Don’t use compost on nutritive products, for instance, shrubs, herbs or trees.
- Avoid using random plastic bags for disposing of the dog poop in the heap.
#4 Wormery
Wormery is something similar to composting and you can surely try using this method. In fact, using this method you get a usable product at the end. In wormery, worms are used and they make the process of decomposition even quicker. The method is quite popular in the UK.
Here the worms will naturally decompose the dog poo because they like eating the dog stool. They will chew on them and also get rid of the stinky smell of the poo. However, make sure the worms you use are compost worms or earthworms. Afterwards, you can use the product for your shrubs but, avoid using it on fruits or veggies.
#5 Doggy septic tank
You can use a dog poo septic tank to dispose of the dog poo. For using one, you’ll need to install one in the garden. The process of installing a dog septic tank involves a couple of basic steps:
- Dig a deep hole that is roughly 3 to 4ft in depth (depending on the height of the disposer)
- Set up the system in this hole, and make sure the lid is above the ground
After setting up the system you can start executing the process:
- Add the dog’s waste in the hole.
- Pour some water into the hole afterwards.
- Now, on the basis of the amount of waste you put in the hole, add some bacterial tablets or enzyme powder to speed up the breakdown process. Doing so will liquefy your dog’s poo.
- Once the waste decomposes, it drains through the soil and is eliminated.
The method seems good, but, there are certain aspects that you need to consider before you install a dog septic tank.
- The soil in your garden or backyard must be free-draining soil. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a lot of poop in your garden due to a lack of drainage.
- If the temperature near your neighbourhood remains low frequently, installing the tank may only work in suitable weather. Because the enzymes and bacteria you add will stop working as they get cold if the temperature is low.
In short, this method is the best fit for a person with the right climate and the right type of soil.
These were some of the methods you can use to dispose of dog poop with organic materials. Now, you also need to know the things you must avoid while handling the dog poo.
Things To Avoid While Disposing Of The Dog Poop
It’s crucial you don’t use any disposing technique that may not only harm the environment but, also affect other people. Following are some of the things you need to consider:
1. Flicking poo bags
When you Flick poo bags randomly if the environmental conditions are not suitable it takes ages for them to degrade. In some cases, it may never degrade at all! This can make a big poop mess and is very unpleasing. Not to mention, it’s hazardous for the environment.
For instance, if you flick one in a bush, it can also contaminate water sources, which can be dangerous for animals and humans as well. Thus make sure you don’t do this activity while disposing of the dog poo, use other ways.
2. Burning
When you burn dog poop, the odour released from the process is bad. Also, burning this waste can release toxic air pollutants into the atmosphere. These pollutants can an adverse effect on the surrounding environment and one must try to avoid burning dog poop.
3. Flushing
Flushing the dog poop once in a while is fine. But, if you regularly keep on using this method, the dog poop might block the pipes. It becomes difficult to remove this blockage and if not handled can cause issues. So, if you have compost you can use it to dispose of the poop and prevent such blockage.
4. Hanging the bags on trees
This is probably the worst thing to do. Imagine you are walking down the street and you encounter a poop bag hanging on the tree. You’ll get furious! So will the other people if you put your dog poop bag on a tree. No one wants to smell the poop while taking a stroll and worse, if it’s having a leak, you can get in trouble.
So, if you think someone else will clean that up you are mistaken. Don’t hang your dog poop bags on trees.
5. Leaving the poop in the garden
If you leave poop for decomposing in the garden, it will only harm the soil and the environment. It won’t decompose quickly, it’s best you clean it up or take the help of an agency that provides dog poop collection services.
These services offer weekly, fortnightly and monthly collections of dog stool. In fact, you may also get discounts for long-term bookings. This is a perfect service for dog owners who really So, those who don’t like dealing with dog poo, can use such services.
Further, some of these dog waste collection services also offer to clean up and sterilise the areas of your backyard that are possibly overspread with dog poop.
FAQs
Can I put dog poo in my wheelie bin UK?
Yes, you can certainly put dog poo in your wheelie bin in the UK. As a matter of fact, using a wheelie bin to dispose of dog poop is widely recommended. However, before placing it in the wheelie bin, you need to ensure that you are using biodegradable dog poop bags to dispose of the waste.
What bin do I put my dog poop in?
You can use a grey-wheeled bin to dispose of your dog poop. Use a sealed plastic bag to make sure it doesn’t leak or spill. You can also try making your own dog poop bin, try digging 5-inch holes in your garden, and using biodegradable corn bags, to bury the stool in the soil. The microorganisms in the soil will degrade the dog poop.
Is there any disposal of dog faeces legislation UK?
Yes, there is a law which mandates you to clean up your dog’s poo in the public domain. But, don’t panic, if you can’t see any dog poo bin near you then, take your bag to the closest litter bin. Otherwise, you risk facing a fine of up to £1,000 if you don’t clean up.
Is dog poo dangerous?
Dog poo poses a significant threat to human health. It has harmful bacteria which can cause food poisoning, and also spread diseases such as parvovirus, roundworm, or hookworm. In addition, dog poop also lures cockroaches and rats, who can contaminate the area and food in the surroundings causing hygiene issues as well.
Can you put dog poo in normal bins?
It is absolutely fine to use any general litter bin to dispose of your dog’s poo. If possible, try double-wrapping the poo bag before you dispose of it in the bin. This will reduce the smell. Also, if you can’t find one in general, take it home with you. At home, place the waste in the general domestic waste bin ( avoid flinging it in the food or garden bin).
How To dispose Of Dog Poo At Home Uk -Final Comment
Disposing of dog poo is an unpleasant task. Sure, it makes you feel uncomfortable but, you need to get rid of the dog poop using a sophisticated technique. This is mainly because dog poop is not recyclable and it also threatens the health and the surrounding environment. In fact, the dog fouling law UK mandates to keep the streets clean and if you leave the poop out there in open, you risk facing heavy fines.
So, make sure you clean up properly and use biodegradable dog poop bags to dispose of them without causing any issues.
