Build your own backyard dog poop composter

Dealing with poop is probably not your favourite thing about being a dog owner. But it has to be done. And if we’re going to scoop the poop we may as well find the most eco way of dealing with it.

Many people use plastic bags to pick up after their pets and then throw it in the trash. But that is using single-use plastic - and unnecessarily contributing to landfill too.

 So, here’s a better way…build your own backyard poop composter. You can use compostable poop bags when you’re out and about. Then simply throw the whole lot (bag and all) into your poop composter when you get home.

Having a poop composter set up in your own backyard makes it simple and easy to be a sustainable dog owner – no extra effort required – and it’s completely zero waste! When you’re picking up deposits off your lawn at home you can use a spade, gardening trawl, dedicated tongs, or piece of newspaper to scoop the poop and drop it in the composter.

Note: Don’t be tempted to flush your dog’s poop down the toilet. Flushing dog poop can upset water treatment balance due to the high levels of BOD (biological oxygen deprivation).

Make sure your dog poop compost is separate from your regular green waste compost. Unlike your regular compost pile, you’ll probably want to get rid of dog poop into a below-ground hole, and you’ll be less inclined to spread it on your garden (though of course some people do exactly that with great results – just keep it away from anything edible!).

There are lots of DIY pet poop composter tutorials online – just google it. It’s literally as easy as burying a large pale, with holes in it, in your yard. Here are a couple of the best instructions we’ve found:

• YouTube DIY Dog Poo Compost by The Green Hub: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CnXFB6cWX0
• DIY Doggy Doo Composter by Homegrown Happiness: https://homegrownhappiness.co.nz/d-i-y-dog-poop-composter/
• The Compost Collective:
  https://compostcollective.org.nz/composting-dog-poo/

You’ll find everything you need at your local hardware store (you might have everything you need already lying around at home!).  All you need is a bucket with lid, a spade, and a means of drilling or punching holes in the bucket.

Dig a hole in the ground big enough to slot your holey bucket in to (you’ll want to put it in the hole and have it level with the ground). Pack dirt around the sides of the bucket and just add poop. To make it even more effective you can add a little loose soil, some ensopet enzymes, sawdust, or worms to get the process started.

If you want a head start on making your pet composter, take a look at the Ensopet Pet Waste Composter Set available from Green Elephant: https://www.greenelephant.co.nz/marketplace/zingbokashi/ensopet-pet-waste-composter/?category=clean-up

And of course for compostable dog poop bags you cant go past Earth Rated: https://ecobags.co.nz/collections/earth-rated/products/earth-rated-compostable-dog-poop-bags

Remember:

• Only use home compostable bags
• Never use poop compost only edibles
• Don’t flush what’s not yours