YOUNG crime scene investigators put the menace of dog fouling under the microscope

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council campaign

YOUNG crime scene investigators are to put the menace of dog fouling under the microscope next week - as a major crackdown on the problem gets under way. Great initiative is being launched by Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council warning dog owners to clean up after their pets and urging residents to dish the dirt on serial offenders in East Cleveland. This new campaign starts with pupils at Lockwood Primary School, in Boosbeck, donning CSI-style white suits on Monday, July 5, in a display designed to highlight the fact that dog fouling is a crime. The village of Boosbeck is one of the worst hotspots in the Borough for dog fouling, and the event aims to get the scale of the problem across to local residents and show what they can do to prevent it. Bags allowing residents and visitors to safely dispose of dog mess will be available in local libraries, campaign posters will be distributed throughout the East Cleveland area. Following the East Cleveland launch, the campaign will be extended to cover the whole borough. Councillor Dave McLuckie, Cabinet Member for Community Protection, said: "Dog fouling is one of the most serious environmental crimes we have to deal with. Irresponsible and selfish dog owners cause mess and misery for everyone else. They ruin our enjoyment of parks and play areas and spoil the streets of our villages and towns. They also pose a serious risk to the health of our children. We believe that there are no excuses for not cleaning up after your dog, and we will do everything in our power to crack down on this issue." There is also an interesting website with further information: www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/dogfouling

Dog owners, land owners, councils - we need your views on poo!

It's no surprise that dog fouling regularly hits the top of the poll of complaints to the council.We get a lot of questions, points of view and interesting information on the vexed question of disposing of dog poo here at Muksak. We'd really like to start a forum for exchanging information and learning about the pros and cons of different methods. Do you have access on your land for dog walkers as a farmer or land owner, a visitor attraction or conservation body? Do you run a camp or caravan site? Perhaps you're responsible for the problem as an officer of a local authority or a parish councillor? Or simply a dog owner who wants to do the right thing environmentally. Do share your experiences or views on dealing with the problems with us - email alison@muksak.com or follow @muksak on Twitter. We'll get your views up on the website and keep you in touch with developments.

Compostable bags definitely more eco-friendly than 'biodegradable' plastic bags

More reasons to buy compostable BioBag Dog waste bags!

A recent study highlights why you should make sure that the dog waste bags that you buy are truly compostable (i.e. starch based) if you are thinking of the environment, on top of the fact that the materials are based on fossil fuels. 'Biodegradable' plastic bags don't break down as quickly as believed and may not be as environmentally-friendly as they sound, according to Government-funded research. A study into these 'oxo-degradable' plastics, often labelled as degradable or biodegradable, found there was uncertainty about their impact on the natural environment. The process of biodegrading, which can only happen once the plastic has initially broken into smaller fragments, takes place slowly - many times slower than for compostable bags. Made from common plastics with small amounts of chemicals to speed up breakdown, they are also not suitable for recycling with other plastics, reuse or composting. The additives did not improve their environmental performance and 'potentially gives rise to certain negative effects'. In the open UK environment they are likely to degrade over 2 to 5 years, but they don't degrade in the absence of oxygen so are unlikely to break down in landfill, where much of the plastic would end up. All the more reason to buy BioBag Dog or other waste bags based on plant starch which will genuinely compost in a short period of time!

Muksak featured in The Dog Telegraph

The Dog Telegraph is an excellent newsletter produced by CP Dogs SOS, or "Clevely Park Dogs - Save Our Open Spaces". Their current bumper March issue features articles on current hot topics such as Status Dogs, Puppy Farming and Dog Control Orders, and also reviews the muksak on the Community Page. They trialled the muksak on a communal clean-up of a local area and conclude it's good value for money!

Happy muksak owners

Lovely compliment from a Your Dog reader and others

We do get a lot of enthusiastic comments and feedback from customers which always brighten the day, but it's a lovely surprise to stumble across a compiment from a muksak owner in unexpected places. A new online buyer mentioned that she'd seen the muksak mentioned in a letter in November's 'Your Dog' magazine. Searching through, it was from a lady who said that her muksak was "the best £10 I've ever spent on a dog product"! What a fantastic testimonial out of the blue. It was also good to read that her muksak copes with the doggie waste when walking her 3 dogs. It was an excellent day as I had just received a lovely email from another happy muksak owner, a professional dog owner, who rated her muksak as 10/10, saying "it's the best I've seen, well done!" It's feedback like this that makes it all worth while.

UK public interest in low carbon living shows signs of growth

... but only if the upfront costs are low

Another interesting report via Kit Strange at the Resource Recovery Forum, www.resourcesnotwaste.org New research, testing reactions to a range of low carbon propositions, shows the British public is interested but looking for support. The study shifts away from focusing on general attitudes to look at 12 options including technologies like solar panels, financial support packages (e.g. 'green' loans), in-home smart meters etc. The main findings suggest that the public respond well to many of the propositions put to them, although the questions only tested headline interest in a range of potential ideas. However, interest in low carbon living options seems strongly correlated to low upfront costs for the consumer - no surprise there then.

Marine Litter Report

UNEP calls for global ban on pointless thin film plastic bags

This is an excellent report that I came across on via the Resource Recovery Forum (an excellent organisation itself). The report's findings indicate that despite several international, regional and national efforts to reverse marine pollution, alarming quantities of rubbish thrown out to sea continue to endanger people's safety and health, entrap wildlife, damage nautical equipment and deface coastal areas around the world. It states that some of the litter, like thin film single use plastic bags which choke marine life, should be banned or phased-out rapidly everywhere-there is simply zero justification for manufacturing them anymore, anywhere. The first choice is the reusable bag where appropriate (not perhaps for dog mess!) Onya make brilliant silk bags that unfold into shopping bags but easily fit into a pocket or handbag. Other than that, we can always make the choice of a bags made from renewable materials such as corn starch, like our BioBag Dog bags. Just think of the reduction in petroleum-based plastic bags if most dog owners changed to compostable bags!

Access for all?

Balancing dog walkers & wildlife

Did you hear the excellent Radio 4 broadcast "Access for All?" in the Nature series on 29th April? Paul Evans investigated the evidence on the impact of people on the wild places that they visit, and whether dog walkers had a disproportionate impact. This is becoming a pressing problem - on the one hand we need people to stay in contact with nature and the outdoors, on the other hand there are more and more of us. Heathland and dunes present particular problems as they are great places to walk with a dog, but are very prone to enrichment by dog faeces, which eventually changes their very nature. There are conflicting opinions on the increase in damaging disturbance from dogs, beyond that just caused by us. A lot of the evidence used comes from an Australian study - if you know of British research, let us know. It's likely that the outcome will be that it varies. We already know that otters are disproportionately disturbed by dogs, and that is likey to be true for ground nesting birds. We can manage access for the benfit of all, but this often means more signs & information and less of a feel of the wild. Conservation organisations are working on this - opening non-sensitive areas to lessen the pressure on species and habitats that need special care. If you have an opinion, feel free to email alison@muksak.com. I'd like to hear your views.

Pet Poo Wormery - great idea!

Why not convert dog poo into something useful?

Yes, really - you can now get rid of dog mess in the garden or yard and end up with something that is useful! As a plus, you also get rid of that smelly corner of the garden or stinky bin - a real bonus in the summer. You can now buy the Pet Poo Loo Wormery via our online shop. From Original Organics, the UK leader in home composters and wormeries (they invented the name), you couldn't get better and it is at a competitive price. The wormery doesn't need any installation, and can sit as easily on a corner of a patio or the lawn. Its smart design makes it unobtrusive and it won't smell once up and running. It also gives you the chance to be really green when you've been out with your dog - if you use compostable corn starch bags like our BioBag Dog bags, you can bring them back in your muksak and put them straight into the wormery (compostable bags only, mind you), diverting more waste from landfill. A really brilliant idea!

Muksak in North America

We know that there are many dog owners in the States and Canada who have expressed interest in the muksak - and our thanks to those who have been buying it online in sterling. You have asked where you can find the muksak in the States. As yet, you can only buy it through this muksak site (and some other UK websites) and in the States now through www.bookofpoo.com. We are working on it though, especially since muksak was featured in Modern Dog magazine. If you're from Canada or the USA and would like to make a purchase but have any difficulties buying on this site, email alison@muksak.com.

Answering the call of nature

Out and about with your dog - new ideas coming to the muksak shop.

Muksak Ltd is working with other environmentally aware partners to help make outings with your dog sweeter and our environment better. A handful of great new products are available in our online shop, including BioBag Dog, the smart compostable dog waste bags that many of you have been asking us about; Dump It Onya, the jewel-bright pouches for spare bags that you can clip to your muksak from Onya, the original "Plastic Bags Aren't Cool" company; and 2 products from ByoFresh, the Dog Wipes and Hand Foam Mousse, that are specially helpful if you travel with your dog or are walking with children. The ByoFresh product range is based on Byotrol anti-microbial technology, initially developed for hospitals which manages to be both highly effective yet kind to your skin. Check the site next week to see the new products online.