Where do Dog waste go?

Dog faeces can carry Toxocara canis, whose eggs remain infective in soil for years and cause ocular and visceral larva migrans in children, which is why it is kept out of compost and away from anywhere food is grown. General waste bins take bagged waste, and any public litter bin will do where a dedicated dog bin is not to hand — most councils have confirmed that ordinary litter bins are acceptable. Food waste collections exclude it because the output is spread on farmland. Dedicated pet waste digesters exist for gardens and are the one composting route that is designed for it.

How to prepare it

1. Bag it and knot the bag.
2. Use a dog waste bin or any public litter bin.
3. A dedicated pet waste digester is the only garden route designed for this.

What not to do

• Never put dog waste in the food waste caddy or the garden waste bin.
• Never compost it in a heap you use on vegetables — Toxocara eggs persist in soil for years.
• Never bag it and hang it on a branch.

Kerbside collection rules genuinely vary by council and county, and local rules always win over general guidance. The reasoning above is what transfers — if your service differs, it will usually be for a reason described here.

Other things that go to general waste bin

• Used cooking oil Let it cool, seal it in a container, and put it in general waste — or take it to an oil bank.
• Polystyrene and foam packaging General waste almost everywhere. It is recyclable in principle and collected almost nowhere.
• Incandescent and halogen bulbs General waste, wrapped. They are not recyclable glass and not electrical waste either.
• Crisp packets and snack wrappers General waste, or a supermarket soft-plastics bin where one exists. Not the kerbside recycling.
• Broken glass Wrap it thickly and put it in general waste, unless it is a broken bottle or jar — those can go in the glass bin.
• Dried-out paint and empty tins Once the paint is solid, many councils take the tin in general waste or as scrap metal. Check yours, because this one genuinely varies.
• Cling film General waste. It is excluded even from soft plastic collections almost everywhere.
• Till receipts General waste. Thermal paper is coated, not printed, and it should not go in with paper or compost.
• Wet wipes and makeup wipes General waste. Never the toilet, whatever the packet says about flushability.
• Nappies General waste, bagged. There is no kerbside recycling route for them anywhere in ordinary use.
• Cat litter General waste, bagged. Clay litter is not compostable, and cat faeces carry a parasite that keeps it out of the garden.
• Medicine blister packs General waste in most places, or a pharmacy collection scheme where one exists.
• Greetings cards with glitter or foil Tear off the plain card and recycle that; the glittery part goes in general waste.
• Cigarette butts Put it out completely, then bin it. Filters are cellulose acetate plastic, and a live butt starts bin fires.