Teaching Old Dog Owners New Tricks

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The European Union's newest members introduced many reforms to gain entry three years ago. But now they're cleaning up their act in a different way: by trying to get people to pick up after their dogs.

In Warsaw, dogs leave an estimated 2,000 tons of waste on city streets annually, or 5.5 tons each day. Last month, officials began handing out free scoops and plastic bags to dog owners, but they are being little used. In Prague, where dogs leave behind at least 3,000 tons annually, similar efforts have also been unsuccessful.

But the E.U.'s newbies are not alone. Five years ago, Paris greatly expanded its clean sidewalk campaign, but 70% of Parisians still identify dog droppings as the biggest public cleanliness problem.