Much of the 11 million tons of dog waste generated in the U.S. each year is trashed and streamed to lined and sealed landfills. The rest is left on the ground as a potential pollutant, particularly in urban areas.

The average dog poops more per day than the average person. Throw in the tons of plastic we use in a foolhardy attempt to sanitize this absurd process.

Add it up and you find that today U.S. dogs generate more solid waste than the U.S. human population in 1959. Can you imagine an advanced country in 1959 not providing a practical sanitary disposal system that works for its 178 million people? We have a hard time wrapping our heads around that one and hope you do, too.

Sources

1959 human population

U.S. Census Bureau, 177,8 million

2016 dog population

U.S. Humane Society, 83 million

Pet waste quantities

Average dog produces .75 lb. of waste per day (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture)

Human waste quantities



On average humans excrete 128 g (.28 lb.) of fresh feces per person per day – Rose, C.; Parker, A.; Jefferson, B.; Cartmell, E. (2015). “The Characterization of Feces and Urine: A Review of the Literature to Inform Advanced Treatment Technology,” 3.1

Dog waste vs. human waste

.28 lbs. human waste per day vs. .75 ave. dog waste per day

2016 U.S. dogs

83 million dogs x .75 lb. waste per day = total 62,250,000 lb. waste per day ÷ 2,000 = 31,215 tons per day

31,215 tons per day x 365 days = 11.4 tons dog waste per year

1959 U.S. humans

177.8 million humans x .28 lb. waste per day = total 49,784,000 lb. per day ÷ 2,000 = 24,900 tons per day

24,900 tons per day x 365 days = 9 million tons per year