Instead of letting your dog or cat’s waste build up in the yard or litter box, it’s important to clean it up before it has the chance to negatively affect your health and environment.
Pet waste can pose health hazards and can contaminate nearby rivers, lakes and even wells.
Eco-friendly pet waste removal includes picking it up immediately with biodegradable bags and placing it into your compost bin so you can eventually use the compost to nourish your ornamentals.
Sustainable Pet Ownership – Why Pet Waste Composting is Worth It
Pet waste builds up quickly. Whether it’s in a litter box or in your yard, it’s a health hazard for your family, friends and pets. Instead of emptying your pet’s waste into the trash, you begin a habit of pet waste composting, which can benefit instead of stifle your yard.
One Hot Mess
Everybody poops, including your adorable pet that can never do wrong in your eyes. However, this waste adds up over time, which is why it’s important to clean your yard and litter box daily, especially if you have more than one pet.
Pet waste is a health hazard. It can carry E. coli bacteria, roundworm, giardiasis, tuberculosis, gastroenteritis and cryptosporidiosis.
The following diseases can be transmitted to humans by pet waste: campylobacteriosis (bacterial infection that causes diarrhea), salmonellosis (bacterial infection that causes fever, muscle aches, headache, vomiting and diarrhea), and toxoplasmosis (parasite carried by cats that can cause birth defects if a woman becomes infected while pregnant).
In addition, storm water can cause pet waste to runoff the soil and contaminate local creeks and waterways.
So what is a more eco-friendly pet waste removal method?
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Scoop for the Cause
One way to prevent pet waste from polluting local waterways is to scoop it up before it has the chance to break down and permeate through the soil and into your well water.
Some plastic doggy waste bags are now biodegradable, so you can collect your pet’s waste for your compost bin. If you have cats, buy litter made from natural ingredients like biodegradable corn fibers or recycled pine chips, which will easily decompose.
Regardless of what type of pet you have, pet waste composting is a more efficient way in comparison to sending it off to a landfill with the rest of your garbage.
You can add your pet’s waste to a designated compost bin with other organic scrap materials such as yard and food waste.
You might have to add an enzyme-active biological compound to help the waste break down faster, but the process is fairly simple and easy to manage. Just remember to keep the bin or underground compost away from crops and wells.
The pet compost can be used to fertilize ornamentals. There are also pet waste disposal systems that are child resistant, which serve the same function as compost bins.
Simple Changes
When it comes to more sustainable pet waste removal, you have to start picking up your pet’s waste and dealing with it instead of emptying it into the trash.
Although indoor cats require litter, you can purchase natural kitty litter that is absorbent and clumping. This will enable you to scoop the waste daily to preserve the litter.
Dealing with your pet’s poop and pee is not the best part of being a pet owner, but it’s your responsibility to prevent your pet’s waste from posing a health hazard to your family, neighbors, and local waterways.
Sources Used
- Pet Waste and Your Health: Dog waste and your health | Pet Butler
- Pet Waste Composting – City Farmer: http://www.cityfarmer.org/petwaste.html
- Best Eco-friendly Cat Litter: What’s the Best Eco-Friendly Cat Litter? (greenmatters.com)
