City of Calgary Parks and Waste & Recycling Have Teamed Up!
Tom Campbell Hill and Queen’s Park Village
Overview: Parks and Waste & Recycling Services are conducting a small-scale pet waste diversion collection pilot in the Tom Campbell Hill and Queen’s Park Village off-leash dog parks from April through November. A redesigned residential green cart will be located at each entrance to offer pet owners the option to dispose of pet waste for composting. Pet owners will be encouraged to place pet waste in certified compostable bags in the green bin. The composting facility staff will assess each load collected for acceptability and contamination to determine if the load will be composted or disposed of in a landfill.
What will deem the pilot successful? If the materials collected (pet waste in certified compostable bags/pet waste) are adequate for composting at the compost facility.
Why aren’t there bins to collect and divert dog poop in City parks and public spaces currently? The primary reason – because of the prolific use of plastic bags for picking up and disposing of dog poop. Plastic bags are the number one contamination issue at the Calgary composting facility. Plastic bags interfere with the composting process and break down into small pieces of plastic that will contaminate the finished compost. No landscaper or farmer wants bits of plastic in their nutrient-rich compost.
Most pet waste bags sold at retailers in Calgary and online are still made of plastic or so-called “biodegradable plastic,” neither of which is compostable. As the Federal government moves toward banning the sale of certain types of plastic bags, we may start to see more options for “certified compostable plastic bags,” which will compost in the City of Calgary’s composting facility.
What happens to pet waste when it goes in the green cart? Why is it safe to put pet waste in the green cart but not in my backyard composter? All food, yard, and pet waste collected through the Green Cart Program is composted together at the composting facility.
During the in-vessel composting process, the compost pile will reach and maintain temperatures of at least 55°Celsius. These sustained temperatures are difficult to achieve in backyard composters but are critical in killing off pathogens like e-coli and salmonella that might be found in materials like pet waste. The finished compost is tested to ensure it meets government criteria for Category A compost that is safe to use anywhere, including farms, gardens, parks, and nurseries.
How should pet waste be collected and disposed of in the green cart? It should be placed in a compostable or paper bag and put inside the green cart. It cannot be placed in loose (unbagged).
Where can compostable pet waste bags be purchased, and how do I know I’m buying the correct bags? Pet stores and vet clinics in Calgary. Look for one of the certified compostable logos on the box. A list of brands and retail locations is available at calgary.ca/greencart.
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