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Dog poop bins installed for when you’re out walking the dog

Starting this week, the city seems to be getting into the doggy doo-doo collection business and all canine-owning citizens can support the initiative with their — or, rather, their pets’ — contributions.

Which is to say people are encouraged to deposit their dogs’ efforts in street bins with receptacles specially labelled “Dog Poop.”

Ten such litter bins have been set up across the city as part of a three-month pilot project “to see if dog waste collection in street litter bins is feasible and can help the City divert more organic material from landfill,” according to a city news release today.

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The test bins are actually the old three-compartment units, including garbage and litter compartments with one switched over to collecting dog waste. They are installed near parks and in areas with a high concentration of dogs, the city said.

Pilot bin locations include

  • 1989 Queen St. E., at Kew Gardens in the Beach.
  • 125 Homewood Ave. at Wellesley-Magill Park in the St. James Town and the Church and Wellesley areas.
  • 45 Dunfield Ave. near Lillian Park in Davisville.
  • 55 Rosehill Ave. at David A. Balfour Park in the Deer Park and Moore Park areas.
  • 88 Broadway Ave. at Redpath Avenue in the Yonge-Eglinton and Mount Pleasant areas.
  • 150 Kilgour Rd. in North Leaside.
  • Lake Shore Boulevard East and Northern Dancer Boulevard at Woodbine Park near the Beach Triangle.
Dog poop bin on Queen East
HANDY SPOT: Dog waste bins are designated in heavy canine traffic areas, like this one on Queen Street East next to Kew Gardens.

More dog waste found in litter bins

Mayor John Tory urged residents near the new bins to use them when they are out with their dogs.

“This type of initiative is a great example of how our City is always looking for innovative ways to make it easier for our residents to help keep our streets clean and keep materials out of landfill that don’t need to be there,” Tory said in a statement.

Sticker for dog poop binsIf the initial pilot succeeds, the number of bins for dog waste will be increased to 30 for another three months and to 100 for another six months.

The pilot project has been launched because of a steady increase in dog waste deposited in litter bins, the news release said. In spring 2020 about 45 per cent of waste in street litter bins was found to be organic material — and 99 per cent of that organic material was dog waste.

And what is the city doing with all this doo-doo it will soon be collecting separately?

The dog poop is to join other organic material which is processed to eventually become compost to enrich soil. It may also produce biogas, which the city is working to upgrade into natural gas for city vehicles and facilities.

So when you’re out walking the dog, you could both be helping beautify and power the city with your donations in the proper receptacle.