Materials:

Bins: Compost bins vary from home made contraptions to commercially manufactured tumblers. Considering the large volumes and the time reduction afforded through turning the compost, it would be recommended to purchase the tumblers for a dog park project. Retail costs of tumblers range from $100 to $200 a bin. It may be possible to reduce cost through a wholesale purchase.

Bags: Biodegradable bags cost around $20 for a pack of 50, (40cents a bag). At this price they would be too expensive for the City or Citizens Off Leash Area (COLA) to provide, but dog owners could bring their own.

Shovels and “pooper scoopers” : Reusable implements make the most sense for a large scale project. Shovels and pooper scoopers could be maintained on-site and reused by visitors to the dog park. Retail cost of both shovels and scoopers range from about $10-$20 each.

Bulking Material: Large amounts of bulking material is needed for composting dog manure. In many off-leash areas woods chips are already used for erosion control and are provided in large quantities from the City. It would be essential for the dog parks to find an locally accessible and affordable means for getting a bulking agent onto the site.

Water: Since water is needed for the composting process, according to the UAF study, a nearby source of water is helpful. Rain barrels might be a good, sustainable and economic solution. The alternative would be having either a well or city water supply tapped onto the site.

Maintenance: Currently volunteers are used in all Seattle Off Leash areas for regular clean up. The trash bins are not their responsibility and are picked up by the city to be taken to the landfill. If volunteers would be used to maintain the compost bins, an educational seminar should be provided. Per bin this would require minimal yet daily maintenance. For a further clarification of the process, please refer to the COMPONENTS section of this research.

Hauling: With the traditional methods of manure disposal in dog parks bins have to be hauled to the landfill daily. Composting not only reduces the volume by at least 50%, the final product can be used on site. Composting saves time, energy and money.