By Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

Dog poop is one messy eco-dilemma. Dog and cat poop will degrade on it’s own in open air. Unfortunately, when wrapped in plastic and placed in a landfill, it could be there for decades. We have to scoop the poop in public areas, so what is a eco-conscious dog owner to do? Compost, of course.

I’ve used the Doggie Dooley composter - it’s a great design, but Plenty’s Annemarie Conte tells us how to make your own for less than $10. In either case, you ‘ll have to dig a hole, so you may as well give the DIY version a shot first.

Go here for complete and super simple directions.

Apartment dwellers may be out of luck on this one. However, don’t give up too soon. Talk to your landlords and/or a few pet-friendly neighbors. Your composter lives virtually hidden underground and will take up very little space.

Unfortunately, the soil where I am now is not porous enough to keep a septic system working well, so for now, I’ve gone back to using the compostable scooping bags from BioBags, which can make a difference once the poop hits the landfill. Of course, using biodegradable trash bags to put them in will help this make the most sense. (I don’t recommend flushing poop because this wastes a lot of water.)

By the way, you can use your Dooley septic system for cat waste from the litter box, too. BTW, be sure to use ammonia-free, natural litter in any case - my favorite is Swheatscoop - it clumps and is dust-free.