I hate writing about dog waste but I know it is a big issue for Stittsville residents.
Under the current rules, dog owners are supposed to bring their doggie bags home and empty them into the toilet. Judging from the constantly overfilled garbage bin at the park near my house (pictured above), it’s safe to say that most of those doggie bags end up in the municipal landfill.
Next Monday, Ottawa’s Environment and Climate Protection Committee (ECPC) will be asked to approve a renegotiated contract with Orgaworld, the company that processes waste from our green bins.
I haven’t had a chance to analyze all 70+ pages of the staff report yet (the full contract has yet be posted online), but one thing that did stand out: if approved, residents will be able to put plastic bags and dog poop into their green bins by mid-2019.
The plastic bags could mitigate some ongoing concerns about cleanliness, odour, and convenience. Accepting dog waste just might keep some of those bags out of city bins like the one at the splash pad near our house. (We are hoping to find a solution with the city to clean it up before this summer.)
Meanwhile, City staff are also looking at a way to turn dog waste into energy. Seriously.
The contract with Orgaworld has caused quite a bit of controversy over the past 5 years, so it should be an interesting discussion at the committee meeting next week.