The Right Place for Pet Waste

Disposal is a matter of city code, ecology and etiquette

by Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza

August 22, 2023

9:05 AM

Photo by Mark Newton

It’s generally held that you should pick up after your pet — signs scattered throughout Richmond also threaten a $250 fine for not doing so.

But exactly where dog poop should be disposed is a topic of debate. There are places it shouldn’t go: on the ground, down a storm drain or in a waterway. Megan Brown, who works for Henrico County’s Department of Public Utilities, says that a lot of bagged pet waste ends up in storm drains. “You have to finish the process,” she says. “You did great. You picked it up, now you have to take it to the end.”

But some believe that any garbage can will do, while others argue that the only place it should go is the owner’s own trash. And many wonder why someone cares what goes into a garbage can at all.

It may help to think of the debate in terms of both city ordinance and social etiquette. In the city of Richmond, pet waste is considered the responsibility of the owner and should be disposed of in a container that is sealable, rat-proof and fly-tight, according to municipal code. This means you’re only supposed to use a public trash can with a top or one of those big green cans emptied weekly by the trash collectors, called supercans, which are the property of the city and are supposed to be used only by the occupant of that property.

On etiquette, Richmonders disagree. There’s a sizable constituency that would rather see the poop in their supercan than in their yard, on the sidewalk or, heaven forbid, underneath their shoe. Those opposed to tossing poop bags in the nearest trash can complain of bags that aren’t properly tied or that break, leaving a nauseating mess. Some residents keep their cans on private property, and tossing a bag could be tantamount to trespassing.

“For years, there have been ‘poopgate’ battles on the Church Hill neighborhood Facebook page and on Nextdoor. I just don’t get it,” says Marna Bunger, who lives in the Jefferson Park area. “I’m thankful it’s tossed, tied off or not.” Bunger’s supercan sits in an alley that gets a lot of foot traffic, and it seems to attract other people’s garbage. “Everyone uses my can: to-go food boxes, kids’ drink cups, dog poo, beer cans, whatever.” she says. “I’d rather have it in my can than on the ground.”

If it doesn’t end up in a can, it ends up in our water. While some storm drains in Richmond convey water to the city’s wastewater treatment plant, most drain directly into our waterways, says Justin Doyle, director of community conservation at the James River Association.

Pet waste is a source of E. coli bacteria, Doyle points out, and “if stormwater runoff carries bacteria from pet waste into the James River, it becomes stormwater pollution. High levels of bacteria in bodies of water can make it unsafe for swimming and recreation in general.”

Bagging can create its own problem. According to a 2022 study by a team of environmental scientists in Poland, plastic dog poop bags constitute about 0.6% of global plastic waste. One solution is to replace plastic bags with ones that are biodegradable.

Some neighbors, however, are just trying to do their part in keeping their city clean. “I’m amazed at how many people don’t scoop up the dog poop,” says Rachel Boxill, a dog owner in the Museum District. “I usually end up scooping up somebody else’s along with my dogs’ just because I don’t want people to step in it.”

by Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza

August 22, 2023

9:05 AM