Program in Lower Manhattan encourages residents to compost their dog waste
BATTERY PARK CITY, Manhattan (WABC) -- Pet owners in Lower Manhattan are doing their part to help the environment through a neighborhood program encouraging residents to compost their dog waste.
New York City has steadily morphed into a world with plenty of dogs, and with that comes loads of doggie poo.
However, in Battery Park City, there's a novel approach to getting rid of the waste.
"Anything you can do to make the world a better place, I'm all about it," dog owner Aron Long said.
That's exactly what The Dog Waste Composting Program is trying to do.
A recycled newspaper or a metal scooper is used to collect the poo and pop it into green receptacles across the neighborhood. No plastic bags are used.
Each day crews pick up the waste, nearly three tons since the effort began in 2019.
"We really are starting to make a dent in the fight against climate change in a new way," said B.J. Jones, President of the Battery Park City Authority
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It's an exact science turning the waste into something wonderful for the environment.
"We let the dog waste cure for a long time, adding carbon and wood and of course we make sure that it's lab tested," Jones said.
After marinating for several months, the final product ends up in flower beds and gardens along the west side.
The goal is to steer as much waste as possible away from landfills.
There are also the obvious health concerns that come along with leaving poo behind.
The big picture, many hope to see is this program spread across all five boroughs.
But will people have a problem picking up the poo with the paper?
"I haven't done that, but people do use the scrapers, I think it's probably a better solution, just in case," dog owner Laura Corrigan said.
Crews gather about 20 pounds of waste from the bins each day but could potentially scoop up 200.
"I'm kind of worried about picking up (expletive) with the paper, it's going to soak through and get on my hand," one resident said.
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