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University launches study on dog waste composting
A new trial by the University of Gloucestershire will examine whether composting dog faeces is safe for growing plants, following a local councillor's personal experiment.
Councillor's unconventional experiment
Stroud District councillor Gill Thomas, who does not own a dog, has collected over 750 bags of dog waste since September. She composts the waste in a wormery at her home, a process she describes as "stomach-churning" but effective.
Thomas, Gloucestershire's only master composter specialising in dog waste, began her project after a resident highlighted a "dog poo grot spot" near Bussage. She installed a dedicated bin for dog owners and now gathers around 60 bags monthly.
The composting process takes approximately six months. Thomas has already used some of the resulting compost to grow pumpkins and sunflowers.
"I would ultimately love to see [the compost] on the shelves of big DIY outlets. Because I have proof that it can grow things and it can be more than just poo that goes in the ground or gets burnt up into the air."
Gill Thomas, Stroud District councillor
Safety concerns and research gaps
Dog waste is typically considered unsafe for composting due to harmful bacteria such as E.coli, salmonella, and parasites like roundworm and hookworm. However, veterinary surgeon Dr Alice Judge, collaborating with Thomas, noted a lack of data on the safety of composted dog waste.
"It can be done with strict precautions," Judge said. "We don't know about the resulting compost regarding some pathogens, antibiotic resistance, veterinary drugs in the faeces, and microplastics from dog poo bags."
She cited examples from North America where dog waste composting is practised, with some studies suggesting the resulting compost is of higher quality than livestock manure.
Trial details and objectives
The University of Gloucestershire-backed trial, set to begin in autumn, will compare cold and hot composting techniques. Researcher Dr Richard Cook emphasised that ensuring the compost is pathogen-free is a primary goal.
"What we will do in our approach is to try to find funding to do proper testing to make sure that what comes out the other end is pathogen-free. That's our main concern."
Dr Richard Cook, University of Gloucestershire
A local doggy daycare company will supply waste for the research.
Future implications
Depending on the trial's results, Thomas hopes to launch community composting schemes and shift perceptions around dog waste management.
"We've just got to be looking at this waste in a different way. We've got to retrain our brains because at the moment, we're not making sustainable solutions. We can't just accept this is the best we can do when we're striving and accelerating in so many different technologies."
Gill Thomas
