{"id":320748,"date":"2026-08-13T21:56:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T21:56:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/320748\/"},"modified":"2026-08-13T21:56:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T21:56:30","slug":"dog-duty-pet-waste-will-be-composted-in-nyc-parks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/320748\/","title":{"rendered":"Dog duty: Pet waste will be composted in NYC parks"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) \u2013 New York City dogs<\/a> are doing their environmental duty: reduce, reuse, recycle.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On Thursday, the City Council approved a pilot program to compost dog waste from dog runs in public parks<\/a>. The specimen will be collected by volunteer dog run organizations using collection bins and compostable bags provided by the city.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s not clear yet where the waste will be composted, but the city will track how much is collected, where it goes and its effectiveness.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The bill is now going to the mayor for his stamp of approval, then goes into effect immediately. The pilot starts in March 2027 and will run for 3 years.<\/p>\n

New York City dogs produce 500,000 pounds of waste every day, according to City Council Member Harvey Epstein, the bill\u2019s sponsor. Epstein called the bill a \u201cwin-win all around,\u201d reducing greenhouse gases and landfill while also improving the city\u2019s soil.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The city has 90 dog runs at its public parks. During his June testimony, Matt Drury of the Parks Department raised concerns about implementation of the pilot and data collection. Still, he expressed broader support for the council\u2019s package on pet waste passed Thursday, the SCOOP Act.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe appreciate the council\u2019s advocacy and efforts to help educate dog owners about the importance of picking up after their pets; just about every New Yorker has had an unpleasant encounter with this persistent inconvenience at one time or another,\u201d Drury said.<\/p>\n

Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here <\/a>and follow her on Twitter here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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