Is it really all that important to scoop poop?
Picking up pet waste and disposing of it in the trash keeps our sidewalks clean and our neighbors happy. But it also protects water quality, keeping our water resources safe for drinking and swimming.
Why is poop a problem?
There are currently 72.8 million dogs in the United States—their waste is not suitable for compost or fertilizer. It can carry diseases and bacteria, which are unsafe for humans. When it rains, bacteria from pet waste left on the ground can wash directly into storm drains and drainage ditches and eventually into our waterways…unfiltered and untreated.
Scoop it. Bag it. Pitch it in the trash.
Learn more from the Huron River Watershed Council.
ADW Pet Waste Materials
Pet Waste Tip Card
Pet Waste Fact Sheet
Pet Waste Poster
Pet Medications and Sharps
Whether you are on a septic system or municipal sewer, traces of flushed medicines can reach the environment. Research shows that neither system removes them completely. Improperly discarded sharps—lancets, needles and syringes with attached needles—can injure family members, waste and recycling workers, or end up in places where they are a danger to the public.
Safely dispose of unwanted pet medications through drug take-back programs offered by pharmacies and police departments. Don’t put medications down the toilet or sink.
Safely dispose of sharps by placing them in a hard plastic or metal container with a screw-on or tightly secured lid and taking them to a household hazardous waste collection event or drop off location in your county.
Resources for Disposing of Pet Medications and Sharps
Safe Needle Disposal
Wayne County Household Hazardous Waste Program