A Canadian company says it’s designing a machine to separate dog poop collected in plastic bags at parks and upcycle it into concrete slabs.
Bob Rogers, CEO of Pookt Pet Waste Solutions, said the idea is to roll out receptacles at parks where pet owners can drop the waste-filled bags into a slot. The machine then separates the plastic from waste internally before depositing the material into a dehydration basket.
Once filled, the waste is picked up and sterilised at high temperatures. The final material is a charcoal-like substance that the company has already tested by mixing with sand and mortar to create black, stone-like slabs.
The bags are collected and disinfected for recycling.
Rogers said the company, which currently does residential poop pickup is securing investment for a prototype machine – expected to cost $67,000 to $150,000.
Frank Hay, the sewage disposal consultant on the project, said odours and fumes from the collection and heating process could be solved by venting the exhaust into the ground.
“The odour is captured in the ground and the carbon sources within the soil strip out those odours before they get back into the free air,” he said.
