4 Things You Need to Know About Dog Poop Bags

You’re walking your dog in a park. The weather feels quite mild. It’s a beautiful day. You’re enjoying every breath of fresh air coming your way. And suddenly, you look behind to see your dog drop a poop. Naturally, you’ll take your responsibility and pick it out of harm’s way. This certain scenario occurs quite a few times throughout the day. So, it’s easily a big deal for dog owners.

For something that you’re repeating this often, you have to make sure that you’re doing everything right. Dog poop bags come in different varieties. You need to know some things about these poop bags before making the choice.

1. Benefits of Using Dog Poop Bags

• Common Courtesy

Every dog owner goes through the same dilemma. Whether to pick the mess your dog has created or to turn a blind eye. Naturally, you’ll be more inclined to the first option. Nobody wants to see poop lying around unattended in a public place. They shouldn't be troubled with its smell or appearance. After all, it’s your civil responsibility to take care of your pet.

• Degradable Option

And even if you do consider turning a blind eye, just stop for a while and think about the consequences. Dog poop is not degradable by itself. It can take up to 12 months to fully break down. This poop, when left unattended in parks and public places, can mince with the rainwater and flow down to lakes and rivers. So, the next time, you come across a lake, think about all the feces flowing in it, due to the negligence of some dog owners.

• Risk of Disease

Even at home, your instant priority should be to use dog poop bags. Just think about the diseases you’ll be lying around in your awake, if you choose the opposite. Dog poop is full of bacteria and viruses, some of which may come in contact with your family. These include E. coli, Salmonella, Roundworms, Giardia, Parvovirus, and Coronavirus. Thereby, the poop can risk your children and pets to contamination.

• Saves Your Curb

It’s fascinating how a small detail, like using dog poop bags in your house, can do such wonders. Contrary to what some may believe, dog poop is not a fertilizer. Rather, its acidic content makes it toxic to your soil’s health. Its buildup can kill your grass, reduce your curb appeal, and invite pests into your house. Not to mention, the effect its foul smell can have on your exterior. So, in a way, poop bags actually save your curb.

2. Conventional Dog Poop Bags

Right here, it’s important to talk about the product of the past. Conventionally, people used plastic poop bags for this routine. And that worked well. But what we didn’t realize is the impact it had on the environment. Dog owners know the amount of poop bags, a dog can need in a month. And if you have more than one dog, you’re in to see a huge amount of poop bags in your life. All these bags, all this plastic; where does it go?

We all know that plastic is not degradable. The plastic we use to pick up the poop causes more damage to the environment than the poop itself. It has a permanent toll on the environment, one we cannot recover. The only thing, we can do, is to lessen its usage. This is why most dog owners have switched sides and are now looking for a better alternative in the market.

3. The Greener Alternatives

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Research has shown us that there are better alternatives that can be used for this function. These are compostable and flushable poop bags. They have a little effect on the environment and are recyclable to start with. Apart from them, we also have biodegradable and oxy-biodegradable options in the market. These alternatives can break down much faster than plastic, but are extremely reliant on the conditions they’re kept in.

These green alternatives all claim to be the perfect solution to plastic dog poop bags. So, how can a commoner differentiate between them? Is there anything more to them? Frankly, there is. Even among these green alternatives, we have some boundaries that can help a dog owner make the best decision.

4. Biodegradable vs. Compostable

A lot of companies claim that their products are entirely biodegradable. And a common man may even believe them without research. After all, it is written on the packaging. However, many of these products can be misleading. According to FTC, many dog waste products may be deceiving their consumers by an ineffective ‘biodegradable’ claim. This is not to say that the product won’t degrade. But the lifecycle it’ll consume and the effect it'll have on the environment can be debated upon. So basically, biodegradable should not enough for you to make a decision on dog poop bags.

Now, coming to the second option. Compostable materials are those which can be disintegrated into natural elements, thus helping the environment instead of being a burden on it. They have an effect completely opposite to that of plastic poop bags. So, in a way, compostable poop bags can prove beneficial to your backyard. The materials it disintegrates into can prove beneficial to the plant life around. Remember to opt for the certified compostable poop bags. Look for the EN13432 and ASTM D6400 certifications, just to make sure that you’re not being misled in terms of quality.

Green dog poop bags

It’s no big event to play your part in the society and environment that has given you everything. It’s the least we can owe them. Dog poop and its compost can be a big headache for dog owners. There are countless selections. And every product comes with its own specifics. But once the owners have done their research, there’s no changing the fact that their small effort in a green environment will work wonders on a global scale. Dog poop bags can now be used in a way, that actually helps out everyone involved.