E-Turd Column by Vice Mayor John Sentz

Gilbert has been making national headlines for a project that puts the Town on the map as a community that leads in green, sustainable, innovative and efficiency efforts.

Cosmo Dog Park, a facility already green as a retention basin turned attractive amenity, has captured national headlines for being named one of the best dog parks in the nation. It has a doggy beach, real K9 equipment- and now, a dog waste digester that will add a new educational element as we work to clean the park.

The project, Energy Transformation Using Reactive Digestion ("dog digester"), will help Gilbert encourage residents to clean up dog waste and keep the park clean, as we provide an educational opportunity for our children to learn about science.  This project was reviewed and is supported by the Town of Gilbert Environmental and Energy Conservation Advisory Board and the Parks, Recreation and Library Services Advisory Board. The dog waste digester allows park visitors to deposit dog waste into the digester and produce a flame and light.  It is one of the first projects of its kind in the nation. The digester will be installed in Cosmo Park in May 2012. 

The "dog digester" is a partnership between the Arizona State University College of Technology & Innovation (CTI) and the Town of Gilbert.  CTI students have been working on the project since August.  The project provides "real world" experience for the students.  We would not be able to achieve this without the support of ASU College of Technology and Innovation , their faculty and students.  The Town of Gilbert is honored to partner with these students who are learning to be our future leaders.

This project is totally funded with donations from our sponsors.  We wish to thank them all for making this project a reality.  Our major sponsors are: Republic Waste Services, PetSmart, APS, Salt River Project, Severn Trent and Carollo Engineering.  We appreciate the support of our other sponsors.  The community support behind this project is a strong demonstration of our community's commitment to being green, innovative and friendly to our neighbors.

---John Sentz is Vice Mayor of Gilbert

PetSmart®, Republic Services Generate "Green" New Light at Cosmo

Gilbert, Ariz. - Cosmo Park, a Gilbert dog park recognized as one of the nation’s best, will soon also be home to a unique light generated by dog waste, thanks to the support of local sponsors funding the project.

“We have a unique opportunity to reach out to the crowds of families who gather at Cosmo Dog Park and provide education and also help make the park a little greener,” said Lou Andersen, Gilbert’s Solid Waste Manager who is overseeing the project for the Town.

Phoenix-based PetSmart “closed the gap” on funding needed for the project through a $4,500 sponsorship. Republic Services has also provided an $8,500 sponsorship of the project. These combined sponsorships along with contributions from other companies shore up the project.

“PetSmart is proud to be part of the Dog Digester project, which is helping our community save energy while enhancing Cosmo Dog Park for pets and pet parents,” said Jaye Perricone, Senior Vice President of Real Estate and Development for PetSmart. “Through collaborative community projects like this, there is no limit to the innovative and sustainable solutions that can be developed."

The “E-TURD” project, which stands for Energy Transformation Using Reactive Digestion, will help Gilbert to encourage residents to clean up dog waste and keep the park clean, as we provide an educational opportunity for our children to learn about science. A team of Arizona State University College of Technology & Innovation iProjects students are designing E-TURD in an important partnership between the college and the town. The dog waste digester allows park visitors to deposit dog waste into the E-TURD, and produce a flame and light. It is one of the first projects of its kind in the nation.

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