Are you struggling to find the perfect biodegradable poop bag? What are you looking for in your poop bag? Larger volume for larger dogs? Something scented? Do you want to support a sustainable company or do you want something that will break down with all the other garbage in the landfill? There are several options out there. Where should you start looking? We have tried two brands. One of the brands has more options to choose from than the other. Which one is our favorite?
First of all, if it's a values decision surrounding environmental ethics or sustainability, only you can answer that and decide if it's a big enough driver to influence what poop bags to purchase. I will ask you this, "Should we be purchasing new plastic bags whose only purpose is to collect something that you will throw into a landfill?" Perhaps something biodegradable is a better option?
This article is geared toward pet waste bags that advertise environmental stewardship in some way. While there are several options speaking to biodegradable, compostable, eco-friendly, we will look at three brands, Earth Rated, BioBag & Mess Free.
We have used Earth Rated lavender scented as well as unscented poop bags. We've gotten the refill rolls and keep using the dispenser we already have. We have been very happy with them. We like that they are biodegradable, leak-proof and scented. While we love Molly, we don't love smelling her poop and the lavender scent really helps hide stink, at least once the poop is in the bag! We've found they are easy to open, unless it's dry outside, then they take a little work to separate for the poop collection part of the walk.
On a more compostable note, Earth Rated makes certified compostable bags that are vegetable-based, BPI-approved and meet the ASTM D6400 guidelines. These scent-free bags are 100% leak-proof and can be disposed of in a municipal compost environment where pet waste is accepted. How cool is that!?!
We have also used BioBag Pet Waste Bags. We found they were good bags and bio-degradable. BioBags can be readily composted along with organic waste in municipal composting facilities. BioBag products meet the ASTM D6400 standard specification for the labeling of plastics designed to be aerobically composted in municipal or industrial facilities. To check what facilities are available in your community. Visit www.findacomposter.com.
Some would argue that compostable or biodegradable bags aren't strong enough and tear easily. We have not found that to be the case, at least with Molly's dog poop. When we pick up Molly's poop, we often pick up other dog's poop we find nearby. Tsk, tsk, dog owners, please clean up after your dog! I will say that I had a blow out once. I was picking up other dog's frozen poop and trying fill the bag to over capacity. Needless to say, stuffing too much rock hard dog poop into a bag will cause it to give way somewhere. Lesson learned.
We enjoy using biodegradable dog waste bags. It supports the lifestyle we chose and we feel better about throwing Molly's poop into the garbage. As responsible pet owners, we like to pick up Molly's poop versus leaving it there for someone else to deal with. If you have any questions for us, please don't hesitate to reach out. We are happy to help where we can. Looking for a dog leash with a place to clip your waste bag container? Check out our online store for some great options. We have a variety of lengths and colors. If you don't see something you like, reach out to us at mollyspetstore@gmail.com. We do custom orders all the time.