A sign on F Street NW reminds dog owners to clean up after their pets. In Britain, people who walk their dogs in forest are being told to flick the poop into the woods rather than leave plastic bags out. (John Kelly/The Washington Post)

These days, more than ever,winning seems to be vitally important. Of course, the best sort of winning is the old win-win, as in “a win-win situation.”

It’s a close cousin to “killing two birds with one stone.” That’s the exemplar of efficiency: a good thing — unless you’re the birds.

It’s easy to think of win-win/multi-bird situations after the fact, but I’ve been thinking of how to create win-win situations. We have so many problems facing us these days that a lot of us would settle for a tie-tie.

But let’s not think small. I have an idea. It starts with dog poop.

We’re all agreed it’s a scourge. It needn’t be. Just pick up your dog’s poop, put it in the proper receptacle and it’s not a problem. I don’t even care what you pick it up with. A plastic bag is the best option, but you can use anything from a sterling silver pie server to your bare hands.

If you do happen to use a bag, the job’s not over till you’ve thrown the bag away (in your own trash, please, not a neighbor’s). You must not leave the bag on the ground or — as we often see — hanging from a tree branch.

Unless you live in England.

Reader Christina Kennedy directed me to a story in the British press about Anne Main, a Conservative member of Parliament and self-styled dog-poo czar.

“Like many people, I like to walk my dog out in the countryside, parks and in woodland, but over the last few years I’ve noticed an increasing number of dog-poo bags hanging off bushes, trees and railings — and it’s disgusting,” Main told the BBC.

[Sure, most dog owners bag their pooch’s waste, but why then leave the bag behind?]

Main suggested that dog walkers follow the suggestions of Britain’s Forestry Commission, which recommends what it calls “stick and flick.” When a dog poops on a forest trail, its owner should use a stick to flick it into the underbrush, where it is less likely to be trod upon.

The Forestry Commission even produced a poem in an attempt to spread the message. It includes the lines:

If your dog should do a plop,

Take a while and make a stop.

Just find a stick and flick it wide

Into the undergrowth at the side.

Kennedy thinks this makes sense. She said she’s seen too many non-biodegradable bags left behind at places like River Bend and Great Falls parks.

The Fairfax County Park Authority does not endorse stick-and-flick.

“Scoop it, then trash it or flush it,” said David Ochs, manager of stewardship communications for the county’s park authority. He directed me to Section 41.1-2-6 of the county ordinance, which stipulates: “The owner or custodian of any dog shall be responsible for the removal of excreta deposited by such dog on the property of another, including public places.”

Ochs said there are 87,000 dogs registered in Fairfax County. His colleague, ecologist Kristen Sinclair, said the average dog produces about three-quarters of a pound of poop a day. You can do the math.

Uncollected dog poop washes into streams, bringing pathogens with it.

“It’s not unlike people excreting in the woods,” Sinclair said. “It has E. coli, salmonella, giardia and all that stuff.”

What about the argument that foxes, squirrels, bears and other wild animals already poop in the woods?

“They’re part of the ecosystem,” Sinclair said. “The dogs are visitors to the park. They’re supposed to be on a leash, with their owners. It’s ‘leave no trace behind.’ ”

Main calls colorful plastic bags of canine excreta “poo baubles.” That almost makes them sound valuable.

Which brings me to this: Have you heard what’s going on over in Reston? Residents are livid that Boston Properties, the owner of Reston Town Center, has started charging for parking. It used to be free, but now it costs $2 an hour.

[End of free parking is the last straw for some Reston residents]

Some stores and restaurants validate parking, but critics say it’s on a confusing store-by-store and garage-by-garage basis. The app Boston Properties wants motorists to use is balky and needlessly intrusive. There aren’t enough pay stations.

Well, who needs an app and a pay station when there’s all this uncollected gold sitting out there for the taking? I suggest Boston Properties require drivers to pay for their Reston Town Center parking with poo baubles. People will be scouring the parks.

Two birds, one stone. Win-win.

Twitter: @johnkelly

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.