Waste digesters are a pretty environmentally friendly way to dispose of dog waste. No plastic bags of poop filling up the landfills! Waste digesters rely on enzymes and moisture to break down the poop, then the biodegraded waste is absorbed by the soil the same way a septic tank works. Environmental impact is small. You will need to add enough water to keep the digester from drying out and, due to anaerobic activity, waste digesters may emit small amounts of carbon dioxide and methane. (It should be minimal, unless you have a humongous herd of Great Danes.)
Don’t locate your waste digester anywhere near edible plants. You also don’t want to locate one of these too close to water, like a river bank, or anywhere where the water table is high. Waste digesters won’t work properly in very clayey soil and digestive activity stops below 40°F, but picks up again when the weather warms up. Too much chlorine in the water you add to the digester may slow digestive activity.
The Doggie Dooley Underground Waste Digesters are easy to install. You dig a whole in your yard away from any edible plants, stick the Doggie Dooley in there according to directions, sprinkle in some enzyme that works as the digester, and you’re good to go. These range in price from $25-$85.
The Staywell Eco Clean is even more environmentally friendly since it’s made from 100% recycled materials. It too works like a small septic tank. The Staywell Eco Clean is installed the same way as the Doggie Dooley and also requires the addition of enzymes to break down the poop. It runs around $35.