More Waterloo parks to get dog poop recycling containers

The City of Waterloo has plans to expand its dog waste recycling program to four more parks after the pilot program was deemed a success in three of the city's parks.

City staff have installeddog waste recycling containers atMcCrae Park,Rolling Hills Park, Chesapeake Park andOld Post Park.

"People feel much better to know that their dog waste is being converted to energy," saidRondhaFetterly, aparks technologist with the City of Waterloo.

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Staff also have plans to install a fifth container in the uptown Waterloo area in 2019. Fetterlysaidparks were chosen where there are a high number of dog owners in the area.

Dog owners can drop inanytype of baginto the containers. After two weeks, the waste is then shipped to abio-digester in Elmira, where it's turnedinto electricity, heat and nutrient dense fertilizer.

Staff estimate 7.84 tonnes of dog waste has been collected since the program's launch in May 2017. That's enough to power 18 homes.

Fetterlypredicts that by this time next year, the city may collect around20 tonnesof dog poop.

The program was introduced to encourage owners to pick up after their dogs and to keep dog poop from ending up in landfills.

Fetterlysaid the program has helped reduce the odour in the parks, and it has kept staff from having to empty garbage cans"full of dog waste".

Other dog recycling containers can be foundat St. Moritz Park,Lakeshore Optimist Parkand the leash-free dog park at Bechtel Park in Waterloo.