You may not realize it but your dog is probably creating a large carbon footprint on the environment. Even though you are helping out your community by picking up after your dog while walking him, that plastic bag is doing more to harm the environment than just leaving the waste where it is.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pick up after Fido. You should do it in a greener way.

The first goal is to stop using the plastic bags. Those bags will out last you and your dog, as well as generations of your offspring. With almost 7.5 million dogs in the U.S., plastic bags are filling our landfills in unbelievable numbers. These bags are estimated to still be in the landfills for over a million years.

Another goal would be to work on the city level. San Francisco started a waste management program that converts dog waste into energy with an anaerobic digester. This is a new and popular method of creating energy by using organisms that eat the waste and then produce methane gas. The gas is then funneled for a variety of uses including ovens and residential heating.

On a more personal level, newspaper and paper bags are preferable in regards to the environment as the paper products will breakdown in the landfills. Many of us do not like the idea of using paper to clean up the waste. You may want to try a Skooperbox. It contains everything you need to dispose of your dogs waste. It is a scooper and container for the waste while being made out of completely recycled material that will disintegrate completely in the landfill. The regular sized Skooperbox retails for $11.99 for a package of 30.

There is also a doggie septic system that you can install on your own property. Corn based bags can also be used in this system. The Doggie Dooley can handle the waste of 1 to 4 dogs, though I am sure that it can handle more waste of smaller dogs. You merely have to dig a hole in the ground and drop the Dooley in. After putting in the dog waste, you just have to sprinkle the utilizing enzyme and some water. The system will do the work just like an ordinary septic system. The Doogie Dooley septic system retails for $89.95.

You can also create your own doggie septic system. Drill holes in the sides of an old garbage bin. Remove the entire bottom of the garbage can. Dig a hole deep enough for the can so that it is level with the ground. Throw a layer of gravel or rock to be used for drainage. After adding the dog waste, use some septic starter and water. As the waste decomposes, it will seep through the soil. You can use the compost on ornamental flower beds, but never use the compost on vegetables or anything else that you plan to eat. This would include herbs and edible flowers.

In the future, there will be more options for the Green dog owner. People are just now starting to recognize the need for properly disposing of their dog’s waste. Perhaps you will come up with the next million dollar idea to help dog owners become environmentally responsible.