Updated on November 3, 2023
***This post is from Kylie's blog which you can find at www.thekyliebee.com
The best eco-friendly poop bag according to The Kylie Bee
Give A Sh!t! Crushing Goals and Doggie Poop Bags, Part 2
If you’ve been reading my blog for a bit, you know that my family has made it our mission to make our home as close to zero waste and plastic-free as possible. It’s one way that I feel like we can make a dent in all of the waste that eventually all ends up in the ocean. I’ve tackled toilet paper and paper towel alternatives, but the need for what seemed like endless poop bags at the time of our pups ACL recovery prompted me to start looking for Eco-friendly/plastic-free dog poop bags.
To read Part 1 of this blog and for the reason why I began looking into eco-friendly poop bags, click HERE.
So why should I care about what material my dog poop bags are made out of in the first place?
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Without diving into the research, it seems weird to put something that decomposes (poop) into a bag that will never decompose (AKA plastic).
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According to thebalancesmallbusiness, “plastic items can take up to 1,000 years to decompose in landfills.''
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Also, according to sciencehistory.org, the first fully synthetic plastic was made in 1907. If plastic can take up to 1,000 years to decompose and it has only been around for over 100 years… wow. That means that literally every piece of plastic that has ever been created is still around today. Every floss container, every plastic baggie, every milk jug is still around and more are being produced every day. So for something that I use for maybe 15 minutes, I really don’t need it to stick around forever if it’s only purpose is to hold my dog’s sh*t. Let it decompose!
So what are some things to look for in a good eco-friendly poop bag? These are a few things to look for as you’re shopping around:
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Is it US BPI certified? The BPI logo must be earned, meaning that it “has been independently tested and verified” to make sure that the product meets scientifically based standards that promote zero waste and compostability. Click to see the BPI website HERE to find out more and to search for products that are tested and verified to be compostable.
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Is it TUV Austria/OK Compost certified (European)? “Packaging or products bearing the OK compost INDUSTRIAL label are guaranteed to be biodegradable in an industrial composting plant. This applies to all of their components, inks and additives”, according to TUV Austria. Click to see the TUV Austria website HERE to get a more in-depth look at what it takes for a product to receive this certification and the permission to bare the logo.
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Is it EN 13432 rated? “The criteria for the industrial compostability of packaging are set out in the European standard EN 13432. EN 13432 requires that compostable plastics disintegrate after 12 weeks and will completely biodegrade after six months. That means that 90 percent or more of the plastic material will have been converted to CO2. The remaining share is converted into water and biomass – i.e. valuable compost. Materials and products complying with this standard can be certified and labelled accordingly.”
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Is it ASTM rated USA? “The purpose of this specification is to establish standards for identifying products and materials that will compost satisfactorily in commercial and municipal composting facilities.”
Discover: Is it possible to compost dog poop?
Based on what I have learned, in my search to find good quality eco-friendly dog poop bags, I have found a few brands that have stood the test of my skepticism and have received approval from my family.
Starting from left to right:
All of these brands have been great. In general, I like all of them. They have gotten the job done and I feel a little bit better about myself when I throw a compostable bag in the garbage. So overall, they are all great! BUT. Which one is my favorite?
Give A Sh!t Eco-friendly Poop Bag Review
What I like about it:
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They are BPI and TUV Austria certified, made from cornstarch.
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10% of their profits go to charity. I like when my money goes a little further. Right now they are supporting the Soi Dog Foundation in Asia, if the video on the home page doesn’t make you want to buy all of the poop bags they have I don’t know what will > https://www.soidog.org
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They claim to have “Zero Odor and are Leak-Proof”, they are telling the truth.
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The packaging is 100% recyclable too, no plastic.
What I don’t like about it:
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They use these stickers to tie the rolls together, so the rolls don’t unravel before you use them. It doesn’t say that the stickers are plastic-free, so I’m not sure if this product actually contains some plastic with those stickers. It's just unclear.
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Compared to even other dog poop bags that meet eco-friendly standards, the price point makes this one of the least affordable options for how many bags are in the box. Less bang for your buck basically.
Bottom line though, it just doesn’t make sense to put something that will decompose (poop) in a plastic bag that will not decompose. Luckily, there are several eco-friendly options available. I hope this blog post provided you with a little bit of guidance when you go shopping for your next dog poop bags.
Also, head over to Part 1 of this blog post HERE where I talk about Berlyn's torn ACL surgery and why that prompted me to search for eco-friendly dog poop bags.
Click HERE to subscribe to my blog for future zero waste, sustainable, and plastic-free alternatives to products that we use everyday.
Until next time,
Kylie Bee
*Disclaimer - I am not being paid or asked to review any of the products that I mentioned in this blog post. I simply love sharing what has worked for me and my family in hopes of helping you, the people you do life with, and the environment, as well.
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Thank you so much, The Kylie Bee, for reviewing our biodegradable poop bags! We love all your comparisons and your tips for a dog owner. It would be great if you could review our bag dispenser!
