Compostable Pet Waste Pilot
A pilot project to test the feasibility of composting pet waste from off-leash dog parks kicked off on April 3. Tom Campbell’s Hill in Ward 9 and Queen’s Park Village in Ward 4 were selected for this pilot. The parks will be set up with modified green bins and signage encouraging pet owners to place pet waste in certified compostable bags in the green bins onsite.
Because the success of this pilot relies almost exclusively on resident actions, it is important for pet owners to be conscious of the type of bag they are using to collect pet waste before using the green compost bins. Only certified compostable bags can be accepted.
Plastic bags are the number one contamination issue at the Calgary composting facility. Most pet waste bags sold at retailers in Calgary and online are still made of plastic or so-called "biodegradable plastic", neither of which are compostable.
Look for these logos on the products you purchase to collect waste. Paper bags are also acceptable. If your bags do not have proper compostable logos, please DO NOT use the compost bins to dispose of your pet waste. Calgary Co-op checkout till bags are ok to use in the green cart. Visit the City of Calgary website to learn more.
As education is a key component of this pilot, Parks Ambassadors will be on-site on April 3, 8, 14, and 23 outlining the difference between compostable and biodegradable bags, as well as providing samples of compostable pet waste bags.
Additionally, a partnership with Youth Central allowed for the development and placement of strategically placed signage at retail stores that sell pet waste bags. Youth Central utilized its extensive volunteer network to visit 350 stores in February and March that sell pet waste bags in Calgary to install shelf-talkers as well as provide information sheets on compostable pet waste bags for staff and customers.
The pilot will run until November and will be considered successful if the materials collected at off-leash parks are not contaminated by plastic, meaning they can be composted at our facility.