What's the Best Way to Dispose of Dog Poop? Here's What Experts Say

Our

pets are great for our

mental health and emotional well-being, but those “little surprises” they love to leave behind aren't so great for the

environment's well-being. That's why it's so important to learn the most eco-friendly method of dog poop disposal.

While there's a lot of conflicting information floating around about dog poop disposal, we did the digging to get you a concrete answer. By using these tips, you can ensure your furry friend's waste

leaves a small paw print on the planet's health.

If you’re in the habit of leaving dog poop in your yard expecting that mother nature (i.e. rain) will come and wash it away, you may want to think twice. Microorganisms such as

roundworms, E.coli, and Giardia are persistent and may hang around in your yard for up to four years if not picked up.

Not only do you not want your pet returning to that yard to ingest the bacteria it just excreted, but you also don’t want to track those microorganisms into your house after an afternoon play session with your four-legged friend. 

That bacteria could also end up in your water supply. Dog poop that isn't picked up can

wash into waterways, carrying potentially dangerous pathogens that can

cause harm to marine life and humans. 

All of this also goes for the “surprise”

your dog leaves in the woods. Just because it’s in nature doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be picked up. It still contains harmful organisms that you wouldn’t want ending up in ponds, lakes, or in the stomachs of other wildlife, so picking it up in all circumstances is crucial.

Okay, so now you've picked up the waste, but you're left wondering: What do you do with it? And is flushing it, burying it, or

composting okay? We don't mean to leave you with your tail between your legs, but those are all no-nos.

Both cat and dog poop can contain pathogens that most municipal waste plants can’t filter out (though we do recommend reaching out to your local facility to check). As a result, flushing it could actually do more harm than good.

By allowing the feces to enter the sewer system, you’re putting your community and local wildlife at risk of being exposed to harmful bacteria. For instance, Cryptosporidium is a diarrhea-causing parasite found in animal feces, and therefore it's not something you’d want in your water supply.

This goes for cat waste, too. Cat waste specifically can

contain an organism called Toxoplasma, which is dangerous to sea life and humans with weakened immune systems. 

Composting also isn’t the answer. “Folks should not try to compost pet waste at home. They will not achieve high enough temperatures to kill pathogens,” Robert Horowitz, a supervising environmental scientist at the

California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, told

PetMD. 

Horowitz goes on to explain that while commercial compost facilities may have the machinery necessary to kill pathogens, it’s still not ideal to compost pet waste, as it could negatively affect the facility’s ability to sell the compost. 

Burying your pet waste is also problematic for many of the reasons previously mentioned. The organisms in the waste can easily leach into gardens or waterways if buried too close to either. The feces also

contain nutrients that can be fatal to fish and marine ecosystems.  

If you'd prefer that your pet waste not

contribute to algal blooms that deplete marine habitats of the oxygen necessary for life, you may want to find another disposal method.

You won’t hear us say this often, but when it comes to discarding pet waste, we recommend

sending it to the landfill. You can further minimize your environmental impact by

using a biodegradable bag. This will improve the chances of the waste properly breaking down.

Make sure to do your research, though: Not all biodegradable bags undergo the rigorous testing needed to prove their claims of biodegradability.

“Just looking at the bag or looking at the claims on a bag or on a box doesn’t really tell you much,” Amanda Basta, staff attorney with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), told PetMD. “A consumer can look to see whether a company is talking about the type of testing they have to support those claims, and if they’re making a representation about what conditions their products were tested under. And if companies aren't talking about testing at all, consumers should be skeptical."

Regardless of which bag you use, though, the number one way to get rid of those number twos? Throw them in the trash.