If you own a dog, you’ll know that picking up poop is one of the inevitably less glamorous parts of being a dog parent, but one of the most important. Cleaning up after your pup is essential to keeping yourself, the environment, and your community safe and clean. The CDC recommends pet owners pick up their animal waste for sanitary reasons, like preventing the transmission of disease. Leaving Oscar’s poop behind on your morning walk isn’t just gross, but it could potentially cost you. Most major cities have legislation in place demanding owners pick up after their dogs to keep the streets clean, avoid fines, and to keep poop off the bottom of any unsuspecting pedestrian’s shoes.

What kind of poop bags you can use:

Most public areas demand dog owners have dog poop bags, and some places even offer them for free. There’s no lack in types either. Many dog owners are known for hoarding grocery store bags under their sink for when nature calls. While some pet owners rely on small trash bags, or more ethical poop bags, and others are eternally loyal to a specific brand. Your neighbors may not care what kind of bags you use, as long as they’re not dodging your dog’s morning poop on their way to work. The environment, on the other hand, is crying for help.

Why it’s important to choose biodegradable poop bags:

Let’s say your pup is, well, regular, and they have to go on average 2-3 times per day. That means you could be potentially using up to 14-21 poop-tossing bags per week. Plastic bags clog our landfills, pollute our oceans, and can take up to 20 years to decompose.

In 2019 there were 7,000 registered dogs in the city of Boston. If each one of those pups ‘relieves’ themselves 3 times per day, that’s 147,000 waste bags that need to be disposed of.

Maybe it’s time we rethink using this environmentally devastating material for the sole purpose of picking up dog poop?

So, what’s the planet-friendly solution for when your pup needs to take care of business? Biodegradable poop bags only take 3-6 months to decompose and are just as convenient as their plastic counterparts. They are commonly made from recycled materials, maize flour, vegetable oil, and other easily decomposable materials.

Biodegradable poop bags may deteriorate quickly, but they’re not the same as full decomposition. The harmful materials breakdown into small particles and remain in the earth. While biodegradable poop bags are definitely a better option than plastic, 100% compostable poop bags are the most eco-friendly option on the market.

Our (name) bags are 100% compostable and will fully decompose within 90 days. Be sure to take a peek at the different stamps on the products you’re buying. They will tell you if the bags are biodegradable, compostable, and which certificates stand behind the bags.

Let’s face it, no one wants to step in your dog’s number two, and Mother Nature doesn’t want those pesky plastic bags ruining her environment. Once a biodegradable bag is thrown out, poop and all, whether it’s in a trash bin heading to the local dump, or a compost bin, it will return to the earth naturally within a few weeks.

While making the eco-friendly switch can take time, energy, and even be a bit costly, the environmental benefits surely outweigh the cons. When plastic breaks down, it contaminates soil, waterways, and can be accidentally ingested by wildlife and marine animals. The green alternative to your everyday plastic poop bags will decompose naturally and help preserve our planet. It’s time to stop scooping the poop with harmful plastic bags and switch to eco-friendly biodegradable poop bags.