Introduction • Dan Tully – Sales Representative • Practica Ltd. – Providers of dog bag dispensers, bags, and waste bins to municipalities and property managers • Established in 2000
Dog Waste Dilemma - Not Just A Nuisance • Environmental Issues • Health Concerns • Waste Management Challenge Why don’t people pick up after their pets?
Defining The Problem Four contributing factors: Volume of Waste Increasing Dog Produced by Dogs Population Composition of Where to put Dog Waste it all?
Factor 1 – Increasing Dog Population 2014 2018 39% over 5.9 million dogs 8.2 million dogs 4 years 32% of Canadian 41% of Canadian households households *Dog population estimates from Canadian Animal Health Institute Comparing dog population to wildlife populations: MNR estimates Ontario deer population to be approx. 400,000 Estimated deer population in New Brunswick 75,000 - 100,000
Factor 2 – Volume of Dog Waste • One dog produces an average of 0.75 lbs of waste per day • Waste per dog per year = 0.75 x 365 = 275 lbs per year • Total waste per day = 0.75 x 8.2 million = 6,150,000 lbs per day • Total per year = 0.75 x 8.2 mil x 365 = 2,244,750,000 lbs per year
Factor 3 – Composition of Dog Waste Isn’t poop, just poop? What makes dogs so different? • Diet & stomach enzymes of dogs are different than those of wild animals • Dog waste has extremely high levels of bacteria, nitrogen and phosphorus • Excess of these nutrients in urban runoff contributes to the growth of algae blooms and depleting oxygen levels in our waterways • Studies of some urban watersheds have been able to trace back as much as 30% of all bacteria to runoff from dog waste
Factor 3 – Composition of Dog Waste • Bacteria, pathogens and parasites also cause their own problem because they can lead to illness in both humans and other dogs • Dog waste is one of the most common carriers of the following: - Parvovirus - Whipworms - Cryptosporidiosis - Coronavirus - Hookworms - Campylobacteriosis - Giardiasis - Roundworms - Salmonellosis - Tapeworms • The EPA estimates that two, or three days worth of droppings from 100 dogs would contribute enough bacteria to temporarily close all watershed areas within 20 miles to swimming and shell fishing
Factor 3 – Composition of Dog Waste So how is the waste of wild animals different from dogs? • Wild animals are consuming resources and nutrients from local ecosystems • Researchers at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado mixed bear scat with soil, and planted in their greenhouse • Resulted in over 1,200 Oregon-grape and Chokecherry seedlings • Digestive system of bear helped break down tough outer coating of seeds; greatly increasing odds that seeds would germinate
Factor 4 – The Waste Management Challenge The disposal of dog waste presents multiple challenges: • Landfills – They’re getting full and we need to divert what we can • Contamination of recycling – Some municipal waste audits found that as much as 97% of park recycling containers were contaminated by dog waste • Labour cost of emptying garbage containers – Waste audits of public park garbage containers in some municipalities have revealed that as much as 40%-80% of the waste deposited is dog waste
Exploring Solutions and Meeting Challenges Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Getting the Waste A Better Disposal Finding the off the Ground Solution Funding
Exploring Solutions: Step 1 – Getting The Waste Off The Ground • Some surveys have shown that as many as 40% of dog owners do not pick up after their dogs • The most effective way to change this trend is to use a combination of public education, dog waste bag dispensers, and the enforcement of by-laws • In Winnipeg, the Kilcona Dog Park Association conducted a pilot project to determine the effectiveness of pick-up bag dispensers
Exploring Solutions: Step 1 – The Kilcona Pilot Project Results The results of the pilot project in Winnipeg were very clear. Bag dispensers work! • KPDC’s Board of Directors did not receive a single complaint about unclaimed dog waste at Kilcona • The park foreman confirmed on several occasions the he and his staff perceived the entire park to be cleaner than it had been in the past, and attributed the change to the bag dispensers • At the 2016 spring and fall cleanups, volunteers barely managed to collect two litter baskets of garbage and dog waste on each occasion
Exploring Solutions: Step 1 – The Kilcona Pilot Project Results The Kilcona Dog Park Association conducted a survey following the completion of the pilot project and were very pleased with the results • 85% of respondents reported they pick up after their dogs all the time and 14% picked up most of the time. Only 1% reported picking up sometimes. • 71% of respondents perceived that people were doing a better job of picking up after their dogs • 85% of respondents brought their own bags, relying on the dispensers only in an emergency • 57% of respondents believed that the light-hearted Poop Fairy signs were effective in encouraging people to pick up after their dogs.
Exploring Solutions: Step 2 – Proper Disposal Landfills are filling up, and dog waste is environmentally problematic for landfills. Three Potential Solutions Anaerobic Composting Incineration Digestion
Exploring Solutions: Step 2 – Proper Disposal Incineration Large scale incinerators provide the ability to turn waste into energy while producing very little harmful emissions Challenges • On a national level, there are very few industrial incinerators operating in Canada • While dog waste itself makes for excellent burning fuel, not all facilities in Canada are able or willing to accept the plastic bags used to pick up the waste
Exploring Solutions: Step 2 – Proper Disposal Composting Given the proper treatment and conditions, dog waste makes for great compost material Challenges • Not all composting facilities are created equal – some may be able to process dog waste, others cannot • Not all dog waste bags on the market are compostable • Dog waste would still need to be segregated from other types of waste
Exploring Solutions: Step 2 – Proper Disposal Anaerobic Digestion • Anaerobic digestion provides the opportunity to turn dog waste into energy • Organic waste that is placed in the digester is processed by being heated and stirred in an oxygen free environment • This process creates bio-gas, which is then used to create electricity and heat • The best part about anaerobic digestion is that it is a viable option right now!
Exploring Solutions: Step 2 – Proper Disposal Anaerobic Digestion ( con’t ) • Sutera has created an in-ground waste container, specifically designed for the collection of dog waste • Due to the design of the unit, segregating dog waste from other waste is not an issue • The unit is emptied by a vacuum truck, eliminating the need for staff to lift heavy bags of dog waste • These units can also be effective in reducing the contamination of recycling containers as park users become more aware of their purpose
Exploring Solutions: Step 3 – Finding Funding How do we generate the funds? • Advertising on dispensers • Getting creative with dog licenses • Allowing volunteers to help maintain and re-fill dispensers
Exploring Solutions: Step 3 – Finding Funding Advertising on dispensers Potential sponsors include any local business that would like to ingratiate themselves to local dog owners while also making a contribution to the community • Veterinarians • Real Estate Agents • Pet Supply Providers • Dog Walkers With 10 units being sponsored it is possible to collect up to $2000, which would be very close to the initial cost, and likely more than the on-going cost
Exploring Solutions: Step 3 – Finding Funding Getting Creative with Dog Licences • Adding $1 or $2 to annual dog license fees , and re-directing the additional revenue, in yet another way to provide funding • By selling a total of 2,000 dog licences with at a slightly higher cost, a municipality could generate an additional $4,000 • The money that is regularly collected from license fees is normally directed to animal services, which would still happen, but the additional revenue could be passed along to parks (if needed)
Exploring Solutions: Step 3 – Finding Funding Volunteers • Many of our current customers use local volunteer groups to help with keeping an eye on stock levels of bags, and with re-filling dispensers • Local dog park associations or park groups are great for this, and are often more than willing to help, in order to improve the parks
Exploring Solutions: Step 3 – Finding Funding ROI Created Through Waste Diversion and Environmental Benefits • By segregating and diverting dog waste, it becomes possible to divert 40-80% of the waste that is deposited in parks • With recycling containers no longer suffering from staggering rates of contamination, municipalities can save on the costs associated with sorting and contamination issues
Thank You
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