Pet Parents: It’s Time to Reconsider Plastic Dog Poop Bags
Image by Simon Kadula from Pixabay
Plastic waste is undoubtedly one of the largest environmental problems we are trying to find a solution for. As our landfills, oceans, and waterways fill with plastic, we are now more than ever aware of the importance of the “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra.
At the very least, many of us have switched to alternatives like reusable water bottles and reusable grocery bags to cut down single-use plastic waste. But out of all these alternatives to single-use plastic, have you considered the plastic being used when picking up your dog’s poop?
A previous CleanUp News article explored why picking up after your dog—no matter where you are—helps prevent the spread of disease and pollutants. It might not be top of mind, but it’s time to consider the plastic bag you use when picking up your dog’s poop.
You might not think about it after you bag it up and throw it out, but that poop and the bag it’s in do end up somewhere.
Photo by Lance Grandahl on Unsplash
Why are dog poop bags a problem?
In Canada, over 5.5 million pounds of dog poop is generated by dogs each year.
Around the world over 500 million plastic poop bags are used annually.
When tossed into the trash, a single plastic bag can take over 500 years to decompose in a landfill. That’s a lot of plastic bags filling up our landfills and these plastic poop bags are filled with about 10 million tons of dog waste.
When this waste fails to decompose it produces flammable methane that contaminates our water systems.
Is it better to go with biodegradable or regular plastic poop bags?
The answer isn’t clear. On the surface, using biodegradable bags appears to be a good alternative to plastic and, in theory, it is a good switch from plastic dog poop bags. However, biodegradable bags are made with an additive that promotes the breakdown of plastic. The bag then breaks down into smaller, less manageable pieces, making it harder to recover than an intact plastic bag.
Biodegradable dog poop bags are also only biodegradable under certain conditions. They will not break down entirely and return to nature as some may expect when using biodegradable products.
In order for these bags to break down, they need constant exposure to oxygen, which they don’t get in a landfill—they just get buried by more trash. At this point, the bag of dog poop becomes “mummified” and actually remains just as intact as a plastic bag would.
Photo by Mike Burke on Unsplash
How do you properly dispose of biodegradable poop bags?
The easiest answer is to put them in a dog-waste-only composting bin. The way this works is like a small septic tank for your pet’s waste that you put in your yard. When out for your walk or hike, bag up your dog’s waste and stash the bag in a convenient and sanitary pack, such as the WoofPack, for the remainder of your walk and drive home. The WoofPack features an antimicrobial lined compartment for storing bags of waste, especially when a trash bin isn’t close by. Once you’re home, you can toss the biodegradable poop bag into the dog waste composting bin.
Composting biodegradable poop bags is a great way to reduce your dog’s carbon footprint. Realistically though, we all know that tossing the bag of poop is much more convenient for the average pet parent. So if you’re unable to go through the composting process, it’s still a better decision to use truly biodegradable plastic dog poop bags than regular plastic bags.
Exactly which biodegradable bags you use matters. Unfortunately, the trend of going green allows companies to greenwash, claiming to be more environmentally friendly than they actually are.
It’s important to shop around and find bags that are plant-based and certified as compostable by reputable organizations such as the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI). Check out Earth Rated poop Bags and Well Earth Goods poop bags for compostable bags that can go into your backyard or municipal compost.
Once you’ve found the right bags, the next—and possibly most important—step is to dispose of these bags properly via composting (plastic bags, biodegradable or not, will almost never decompose in a landfill).
Check your local municipality for pet waste composting facilities or local companies that pick up pet waste.
What are other environmental ways to dispose of my dog’s waste?
Composting dog poop and/or bags of dog poop is the best route to go when taking care of your pet’s waste.
However, there are other environmentally friendly ways to take care of your pet’s waste if you’re willing to take the plunge. These alternate ways of scooping the poop include scooping and flushing your dog’s poop (check local guidelines first) or burying it five inches underground and away from vegetables if you live in a rural area. If the area you live in has dog waste composting in place, you can also make the switch from dog poop bags to an alternative like pooch paper.
Plastic bags are currently the most common and convenient way for pet parents to scoop the poop, but with many regions banning single-use plastic, we need to start finding greener alternatives.
The best you can do as a dog owner is to take the time and effort to properly dispose of your dog’s doo. Consider making the switch to intentionally composting your dog’s waste after picking it up in a biodegradable plastic poop bag.
+4 Resources
Barrett, A. (2019). The truth about biodegradable plastic dog poop bags. Bioplastics News.https://bioplasticsnews.com/2019/07/28/the-truth-about-biodegradable-plastic-dog-poop-bags/
Geier, E. (2021). If you use biodegradable poop bags, you need to read this. Rover. https://www.rover.com/blog/reviews/truth-about-biodegradable-poop-bags/
Open Farm (2019). How to get rid of and compost dog poop. https://openfarmpet.com/blogs/news/how-to-compost-dog-poop
Snow, T. (2019). The scary truth about biodegradable plastic poop bags. K9 Clean. https://k9clean.com/the-scary-truth-about-biodegradable-plastic-poop-bags/
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