Zero waste poop bags (what are the best choices?)

dog poop bags

England has millions of dogs who all lick, bark, walk, eat and poop! Dogs poop outside, so that means millions of dog poop bags are used. So what are the greenest options?

Firstly, it’s not good to leave dog poop to ‘biodegrade’. Because while it breaks down, it can leave toxins that can harm other dogs, wildlife and children (and can even cause blindness).

Read our posts on volunteer dog walking and humane dog training.

Although you can buy recycled plastic poop bags to stop new plastic, the problem is that they if they get littered, they break down into microplastics, and run down storm drains and into the sea.

The other issue that there is a lot of greenwashing and confusing over biodegradable, home compostable, industrially compostable etc:

  • Biodegradable simply means it can break down in six months (so can balloons but they do enormous damage before that happens). So it’s compostsable to look for.
  • Home compostable is good in theory. But you can’t compost used dog poop bins, because it would contaiminate your cabbages! So look for bags that are industry compostable (these won’t get composted until your council invests in the proper equipment.

Nothing’s perfect. But here are a few ideas.

There are a few ‘greener poop bag’ brands on the market. The Green Poop Bag is one of the best. Not only do they pass the ‘green test’, but they are also super-strong.

PoopShark is not sold yet in the UK, but it basically makes treated paper that can take poop, with no need for plastic bags. One size picks up most poops, although it’s not for wet weather or runny poo.

This kind of works like that game you did with paper as a child, folding it into little pyramids. It then ‘scoops the poop’. And profits are helping to reforesete California after the wildfires.

DickyBag (for when you’re not near dog bins)

DickyBag is for when you’re in the hills or at the beach, and not near a dog poop bin. You basically pop your used bags inside, and then carry the bag hands-free, until you find a bin. Without it emitting odours. The main version is made from neoprene (what wetsuits are made from). Wipe-clean after use. Made in Cornwall.

If you do launder, do so in a microfiber filter, due to synthetic materials. 

Dog poop solutions for councils 

Councils could be a bit more innovative when it comes to dealing with poop. There are fines, but it’s human nature that sometimes people forget their bags. So do what some councils do and have a bin with free compostable bags (it works out cheaper than sending out people to pick up poop in parks).

  • The pet genie dog bin has a film to lock away odours until emptying.
  • This large dog waste bin is good for urban areas, to avoid overflowing poop bins.
  • This station includes bags and a little hand wash station. In Japan, these are the norma.

Park Spark Project (US) is a great idea, to encourage people to pick up the poop. People literally throw the poop inside, use a hand crank and this produces energy to light the park!

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