How and Where to Compost Dog Poop

How and Where to Compost Dog Poop

There are approximately 89.7 million dogs in the U.S. and 8.2 million in Canada. With 41% of Canadian households having at least one dog, it's clear pets have taken over our hearts. While more dogs means more love, it also brings more problems. One of the most concerning is: what do we do with all their poop? Dog poop left lying around can cause more harm than just messing up the shoes of anyone who steps in it. It's a dangerous pollutant! One gram of dog poop contains 23 million bacteria, like E.coli, salmonella, Campylobacteriosis, and tapeworms.

How to Compost Dog Poop

Composting involves decomposing organic materials by using worms and other organisms. To speed up the process, composting facilities add heat and oxygen. Food waste, leaves and yard clippings are all great for composting. Plastic is not. Non-compostable bags won’t break down in a composting facility. Instead, they will contaminate the batch with plastic. But even with the right bag, not all municipalities are equipped to compost pet waste.

Where Can You Compost Dog Poop?

Dog poop contains harmful bacteria that can contaminate compost if not properly disinfected. Unfortunately, many composting facilities aren’t properly equipped to deal with your pet’s poop - but we're hoping to change that. As a Canadian company, we've compiled a list with all the Canadian municipalities that accept dog poop in their bins - can you proudly call one of these your home? Unfortunately, industrial composting of pet waste is not widely available in the USA. If your community accepts pet waste in their compost bins, please share the info with our team so we can include them in our list!

Canadian Provinces Where Dog Poop is Accepted in Composting Facilities

Nova Scotia
  • Annapolis
  • Kings
  • Berwick
  • Bridgetown
  • Hantsport
  • Kentville
  • Middleton
  • Wolfville
  • Colchester
New Brunswick
  • Saint John
  • Quispamsis–Rothesay
PEI The entire island! Quebec
  • Sherbrooke
  • Granby
  • Salaberry-de-Valleyfield
Ontario
  • All Ottawa regions
  • All Toronto regions
  • Waterloo / Kitchener
  • Barrie / Simcoe County
  • Guelph regions
  • St Thomas
  • Whitchurch-Stouffville
  • Markham
Alberta
  • Calgary
  • Red Deer
  • Airdrie
  • Lloydminster
  • Leduc
  • Okotoks
  • Cochrane
  • Spruce Grove
Saskatchewan
  • Lloydminster

Provinces Not Accepting Pet Waste

Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon
  • Composting dog poop is currently impossible in all territories due to the colder temperatures. Since they don't have curbside garbage collection, animal waste has its own bin at all major dump sites and is put into its own septic tank.
Newfoundland & Labrador
  • Aren't at the point of adding composting sites right now
Manitoba
  • Winnipeg is looking into getting a facility in the future, but dog poop can not currently be composted in Manitoba
British Columbia
  • BC focuses on vermi-compost (worms) and does not currently accept pet waste

What to Do if Your Region Won't Compost Dog Poop

If you live somewhere that does not currently allow dog poop in compost bins, not all hope is lost! You can take the matter into your own hands and write to your local government requesting that your region's composting facility starts accepting pet waste. Next Article: The Future of Dog Walking is Here - Introducing the NEW Earth Rated Leash Dispenser 2.0

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