Among the hidden expenses of running a racecourse is the cost of removing dog faeces from the car park bins, amounting to roughly £562.50 per annum based on weight alone, without including the man hours required for handling the waste on site.
Even so, we much prefer that dog-walkers bag their poop (or at least their dog’s poop) and place it in the bins provided, because the non-monetary cost of stepping in dog mess is so much higher.
Although not so expensive to dispose of, perhaps, as Vladimir Putin’s poop – which is reportedly deposited into a specially designed suitcase when the Russian President travels outside of his own country. The fear being that, if Putin’s faecal matter were recovered by a foreign intelligence agency, it could be used to uncover secret health issues or to design genetically based poisons, and all sorts of other dark stuff (apart from the obvious dark stuff transported back to Russia in the suitcase).
Fortunately, we don’t have to deal with Putin’s poop at Kelso Racecourse, nor that of Kim Jong Un – the North Korean leader who reportedly travels with his own high-security toilet. Despite this, the cost of waste disposal from the track still spiraled to almost £25k last season. Which is why we have put measures in place to take full advantage of the rebate schemes available for separating products which can easily be recycled – such as copies of The Racing Post and losing betting slips (which obviously won’t include our selection for Saturday, Gale Mahler at Market Rasen).
By distributing bins throughout the public enclosure in pairs, one for recycling and another for general waste, racegoers are now able to help sort the waste before it reaches the depot. In addition to reducing the cost of collection from the racecourse, the separation of materials helps to stimulate a much higher percentage of recycling. In past seasons the waste will have been sorted after it had been removed from the site, reducing the potential for retrieving clean recycling material due to high rates of contamination.
A key motivation for taking this step towards a greener operation is financial. The racecourse will save money. It is, however, also part of a wider programme to make horseracing more sustainable. Only yesterday the BHA launched its environmental strategy for the sport. To be implemented over a five-year period, the strategy is intended to be rooted in science and centres on four key areas: the reduction of carbon emissions, preserving water availability, protecting nature and ecosystems, and minimising waste.
We hope that you’ll play your part in helping us and we won’t be taking any crap – unless you’ve bagged it appropriately and placed it in one of the bins provided.