It’s actually one of the less glamorous parts of being a canine owner, however picking up after your pup’s poop is as essential, conscientious and accountable as another part of owning a dog. For all the love, joy and laughs our canine provide us with, they’re always going to poop, and you must always be prepared.

With so many canine poop bags on the market, though, it could be hard to know which one it is best to choose. Phrases like ‘biodegradable’, ‘compostable’ and ‘recycled’ get thrown about this way and that, however which ones are right for you and your dog? Read on to seek out out.

What are the Types of Canine Poop Bags?

At present, there are a number of types of canine poop bags available on the market. These include: non-recyclable, biodegradable, compostable and recycled dog poop bags.

Non-Recyclable (Single-Use Plastic)

Perhaps still the most typical dog poop bags are non-recyclable, non-degradable (no less than not on a timescale that’s ecologically useful) single-use plastic dog poop bags. The reason these are so popular is thanks to their low price and more heavy-duty feel. With the climate disaster in full swing, and with single-use plastics inflicting problems all through the world and its oceans, trying to switch away from these is advisable if at all possible.

Biodegradable

Biodegradable dog poop bags are more and more frequent, and are typically made of materials that break down more easily than non-biodegradable poop bags; biodegradable refers to the fact that they’re broken down utilizing organic processes. As we’ll see shortly, nonetheless, just because a dog poop bag is biodegradable doesn’t imply it’s automatically better for the environment.

Compostable

When you’re looking to decide on the most environmentally-friendly option, then it’s best to go for compostable dog poop bags. Typically made from corn starch (or its derivatives) compostable dog poop bags can be put into a house composting set-up to contribute towards the mulch you employ in your garden.

Composting your dog’s poop arguably requires a little more work in your part, but for those who’re looking to go greener, then it’s certainly the way to go. One important thing to note is that it is best to only add your dog poop to compost which isn’t going for use on plants grown for human consumption (like fruit or vegetables).

Recycled

If composting isn’t an option, however you still need to make at the least a little bit of a positive change, environmentally speaking, then recycled dog poop bags are a very good option. These are dog poop bags made from recycled slightly than virgin (completely new) plastic; through the use of these bags, you’re not less than not introducing any new plastic into the ecosystem. It’s a small change, however a positive one nonetheless.

The Unlucky Truth (at Least At the moment)

We referenced before towards the fact that biodegradable doesn’t necessarily equate to environmentally-friendly relating to dog poop bags. The reason? Canine poop bags thrown into dog poop bins are still virtually always sent to landfill.

Biodegradation is notoriously tough (and in many cases not possible) in the conditions that landfill provides, because the layers of waste make for an anaerobic (without oxygen) environment whereby those organic breakdown processes can’t take place.

Hopefully, moving forward, a more maintainable way to get rid of and process canine poop will become widespread. Within the meantime, nonetheless, we reiterate that if you wish to lessen your dog’s environmental impact, then house composting is your finest friend.

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