November 10, 2021

Wondering which Dog Poo Bag to Buy? 4 Types of Dog Poo Bags Changing the Dog Walking World

For years, the majority of dog poo bags were made from environmentally unfriendly materials, but now, there are 4 different types of dog poo bags taking the dog walking world by storm:

Biodegradable

Compostable

Recycled

Degradable

Whilst they might each sound similar, they all have their own unique features – what links them all, though, is that they’re much better for the environment. With that in mind, let’s take a look at each type in a little more detail, and see just why exactly dog walkers and owners are getting so excited by these new alternatives.

4 Types of Dog Poo Bags Changing the Dog Walking World

#1 Biodegradable Dog Poo Bags

‘Biodegradable’ has become a major buzzword over the course of the past decade, and rightly so; single use plastics and other non-degradable materials are increasingly damaging the planet’s ecosystems, both on land and in the oceans.

Biodegradable dog poo bags are those which degrade organically over time, breaking back down into non-harmful constituent parts. Unlike most plastics, biodegradable materials break down within our lifetimes, often within a few years, if not months.

The main factor that separates compostable biodegradable dog waste bags and regular biodegradable dog waste bags (as we’ll come onto shortly) is the timeframe over which the polymer material degrades, as well as several other factors.

#2 Compostable Dog Poop Bags

Compostable dog poop bags are ideal for those dog walkers who have a garden space at home that they’re looking to spruce up and fertilise with their own compost; it’s important to note, of course, that whilst the composting process will kill off the majority of pathogens within the composted poop, it’s still advisable only to use this compost on non-edible plants, just to be sure. This compost will help plant matter thrive, as well as nourishing the soil overall. Unlike traditional fertilisers, compost releases its nutrients much more gradually, meaning it benefits your plants and garden for months at a time. In other words, a little bit of compost can go a long way – and these compostable dog poop bags provide you with a continual, ready supply! What’s not to like?

Cornstarch-based compostable dog poop bags will biodegrade in a compost heap, and are best matched (thanks to the high nitrogen content of dog poop) with sawdust (high in carbon) in a 2:1 ratio. For a dog poop bag to be compostable, it can’t leak out toxic materials when it degrades, it can’t negatively impact the composting process, and it must have disintegrated entirely by the time one composting cycle has completed.

What’s the Difference, Again?

If you’re struggling to remember the difference between compostable and biodegradable dog poo bags, then just think of it in this easy way: all compostable dog poop bags are biodegradable, but not all biodegradable dog poo bags can be composted!

#3 Recycled Dog Poo Bags

If you’re a keen recycler (and even if you’re not) then you’ll probably be aware of the slogan:

Reduce
Reuse

Recycle

The idea is a hierarchical one, meaning that your priority should be to first reduce the number of plastics and other non-organic materials you use, then if you can’t do that (or as well as that) you should reuse certain materials, or use reusable alternatives – think your reusable coffee cup – and then finally you should recycle those materials.

Recycled dog poo bags are those made from recycled plastics, rather than new, virgin plastic, and so help reduce the quantity of plastic worldwide in the process. Typically, these recycled poo bags contain anything between 20 and 40% recycled plastics, from both post-industry and post-consumer sources. Now, given that these dog poo bags are still made from a type of plastic, however, it’s preferable to use biodegradable or compostable poo bags if you’re able.

#4 Degradable Dog Poo Bags

The final type of poo bags – degradable poo bags – are similar to biodegradable (hence their name) in that they break down over a more practical timescale, however they’re not typically able to be broken down organically. So, they might still be able to be broken down chemically (which is still preferable to sitting for hundreds of years in landfill, whilst leaching out toxic chemicals) but they’re still not organic in the way that biodegradable poo bags are.

Which Dog Poo Bag Should I Choose? The Verdict

Whilst any of these poo bags are preferable to single-use plastic options, we’d always recommend the most organic and natural choice, and in this case that’s the compostable and biodegradable options. After all, what’s that saying? One dog’s waste is another plant’s treasure?

If you are on the lookout for different poo bag options, then one option is Beco pets dog poo bags as they offer a variety and have been one of the top suppliers in the UK: https://www.becopets.com/collections/dog-poop-bags which we also sell via our own online shop:

Whatever you do, though, we can all aim to reduce the quantity of single-use plastics we use in our day-to-day lives. Our four-legged friends give us pet owners so much joy every single day, so it’s only right that we look after the planet for their sake as well as ours!

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