More than two million pieces of litter are dropped in the UK every day, including common culprits such as cigarette butts, fast-food packaging, drinks cans, sweet wrappers and plastic bottles. Not only is littering irresponsible, it is also lazy and illegal, yet despite this, our streets still seem to see an abundance of waste, creating hazards for wildlife and the environment. One of the foulest waste types is just that – dog waste! Whether bagged or loose, you are bound to find a poo pile on your daily walk.
Most common in rural, coastal and residential areas, dog waste is not only unpleasant and unsightly, it can be very dangerous as well. A study carried out by Keep Britain Tidy saw that when in contact with dog excrement, it can cause toxocariasis – a nasty infection that can lead to dizziness, nausea, asthma and even blindness or seizures. Despite fines of up to £1,000 being a threat to dog fouling, these do not seem to be deterring people, so what’s the alternative?
Offer Free Waste Sacks
When caught, dog fouling offenders often claim they ‘don’t have any bags to capture the waste,’ a common excuse. While this could be an honest mistake, it’s usually a sign of carelessness. A practical solution to this problem would be to offer readily available dog waste bags to walkers and owners, free to take when they find themselves without one. Ideally, these could be placed in central locations around villages, towns, and cities, making them easy for dog owners to find and collect. This could include local community centers, shops, and libraries, where they can be well-maintained and regularly restocked. It’s also recommended to place them in popular dog walking areas, such as local parks, rural routes, seaside spots, national trust trails, and more. Having bags available in these areas will hopefully assist in the cleanup process and keep our communities cleaner.
Finally, you could have them available to purchase or even donate them to dog owners, walkers and boarders via your website – allowing for a quick and easy delivery service of quality dog waste sacks. Take a look at our DOG2 range of dog waste liners, available from Cromwell.
Creative Bins
It’s not just loose dog waste that poses a problem; bagged waste is also a common litter item found throughout our environment. We frequently see bags filled with dog excrement hanging from trees, left on fence posts, or tossed into bushes and shrubbery. This not only contributes to dog waste litter but also adds to plastic waste pollution. Therefore, in addition to increasing the availability of waste bags, we must also improve access to rubbish bins.
More bins, readily available and regularly maintained, will help prevent bagged waste from being discarded improperly. After speaking with a few dog owners at Cromwell, they mentioned a lack of waste bins in some of their favorite dog walking spots. Throughout these areas, they notice an alarming amount of dog poo bags left on the ground as rubbish.
Increasing the number of bins and ensuring they are conveniently located can encourage responsible disposal and keep our environment cleaner.
Both red dog waste bins and communal waste bins are great to increase in busy areas, but why not go the extra mile and get creative? Councils and organizations like HUBBUB have begun to think outside the box, designing bins that are both functional and eye-catching. Many city centers now feature colorful, musical, and uniquely shaped bins that certainly draw the public’s attention!
For example, “Ballot Bins” have multiple sections where people can ‘vote’ while managing their waste. Other bins sing, say ‘thank you,’ or even burp when waste is deposited. The possibilities are endless. A dog-themed creative bin could help encourage better waste management. Whether it’s a barking bin or a Labrador-shaped one, getting creative with design might just be the key to reducing litter!
Informative Posters
Anyone who fails to clean up after their dog can be issued a Fixed Penalty Notice of up to £100. If the case goes to court, this could cost the owner or person in charge of the animal up to £1,000. However, this law isn’t widely known, and sometimes ignorance leads to piles of dog poo being left without a second thought. By highlighting these fines, we could educate the public and potentially decrease litter levels.
Displaying posters indicating the fines and consequences in popular areas, as well as in places like vets, pet shops, and supermarkets, might help raise awareness and promote this important message. In 2022, Cromwell launched our anti-litter poster campaign, offering a variety of free, downloadable posters and social media messages, including those addressing dog waste. Take a look at these posters, download them, and print them to display throughout your local community. Raising awareness is a crucial step in keeping our environments clean.
Paw Patrols!
Local areas could employ “waste tacklers” who patrol popular areas to ensure dog owners are being responsible. If these patrols catch someone not following the rules, they can issue instant fines.
The idea is that if a few culprits are caught in the act, others will become more responsible out of fear of being fined. Even infrequent patrols could have a significant impact if their presence becomes known and the issue is acknowledged. By combining these efforts, we can create cleaner and more enjoyable public spaces for everyone.
Tackle it head on!
If dog waste is an issue in your area, bagged or loose, trial a few of these campaign ideas and see if they help to create cleaner communities for your community. Talk to us about dog waste sacks, bin liners for waste bins and downloadable posters.