Why Compostable Poo Bags are Best for the Environment

Getting rid of your pet’s natural waste in an eco-friendly way is essential, especially since most of the poo bags that are currently available for sale are not safe for the environment at all.

In today’s article, we look at several reasons why our Do Good Poo Bags are great for the environment, as well as the main differences between compostable and biodegradable bags.

Reasons Why Our Do Good Poo Bags are Best for the Environment

Our new Do Good Poo bags are certified compostable, given that they are made from corn starch, so they are plant-based, as well as sustainable. They’re also designed to withstand the abuse you might inflict upon them when stashing your pet’s feces in the bags, and are made in accordance with Australian Standard AS 5810, which means that our bags ensure a minimum of 90% biodegradation.

They also do not affect the rest of your compost ingredients in a toxic way in that they can be mixed with plant leftovers or any materials that have a content of at least 50% organic waste.

Every pack of Do Good Poo Bags contains four rolls and have ten bags in each. They measure 22 by 32 cm, which is an ideal size for a variety of waste types - from your cat’s used litter to your dog’s feces that you pick up on a stroll through the park.

What is the difference between compostable and biodegradable bags?

The main difference between these two types of materials, and one that also makes our bags stand out from the crowd, is the way they break down.

Biodegradable bags are made of plastic, but they usually contain a number of microorganisms that enable the material to break down over time. However, since plastic is not the most eco-friendly material in the world, these types of bags cannot be added to your compost as they could affect the living organisms that should eventually form in your compost bin. When breaking down, most plastic types release chemicals into the environment.

On the other hand, compostable bags are biodegradable, but they are always made of natural plant starch. This means that when they do break down, they will not release any toxic substances into your compost, so the entire process will be natural and safe.

Biodegradable bags do not solely have to be made of plastic, but even 10% of plastic content can make them worse for their environment compared to their fully compostable counterparts.

The Do Good Poo Bags are entirely made of corn starch, so when you add them to your compost bin, you can expect them to degrade as if they were plants.

How bad are plastic poo bags?

Everyone knows that plastic bags are not good for the environment, but there are several different kinds of plastic that they can be made of - and none of which are eco-friendly. Depending on the exact material they are manufactured from, some bags can take between 200 and 500 years to degrade in a landfill.

Even worse, some never degrade at all, and depending on various circumstances, they can end up in water sources, such as rivers, springs, or lakes.

You might have heard that many marine animals are decimated by plastic bags on a yearly basis. This happens because they often mistake plastic bags for food or they accidentally ingest them. And once parts of a plastic bag end up in an animal’s digestive tract, sky’s the limit as to how much damage they can cause.

Intestinal blockages are the most common health problem that plastic in the oceans can cause to animals, but their limbs can also get wrapped around plastic bags and impede their normal movement or, worse, the plastic can tangle around their legs or fins to the point that the blood circulation in that body area is severely disrupted.

Think of an ocean turtle’s flippers becoming necrotic because they’re effectively strangled by a plastic bag - not to mention that the same waste can also become wrapped around the animal’s neck.

Plastic somehow finds its way to the unlikeliest of places, even though it should be stored properly and recycled every time.

Why plant-based poo bags are eco-friendly

A good way of telling whether the poo bags you’re buying are, in fact, fully biodegradable and compostable is to see whether they’re certified according to a standard.

We’ve already noted the Australian standard of our Do Good Poo Bags, but if you live in other countries, you might have to make an extra effort to determine if the product you intend to purchase can actually be added to your compost bin.

If the bags do not come with a certification, the least you can do is to look at what they are made of. If they’re made from plant starch, whether vegetable starch or corn starch, they’re safe for the environment and your compost.

Can compostable poo bags be used in the compost you add to your plants?

This actually depends on the types of plants you grow. If you intend to use your compost for plants that you will eat, you should avoid adding your dog’s waste to the compost bin because it can contain a variety of microorganisms and parasites that could be transmitted to humans.

However, this does not mean that you can’t create a separate bin for your dog’s or cat’s waste, where you can chuck your compostable poo bags. The resulting compost can successfully be used for decorative gardens, and it makes for an excellent fertiliser, too.

Some waste bags are water-soluble, which is why they can even be flushed down the toilet. You do have to make sure that they’re safe for this, though, and that your municipality allows disposal of pet waste in this way.

Finally, the best way to get rid of compostable bags is to bury them right in your garden, provided that you are not growing edible plants.

There are also composting facilities that accept pet waste, and they can be contacted throughout Australia and other countries. They’ll come and pick up your pet waste compost, or you could transport it to one of their headquarters.

Final thoughts

Compostable poop bags are by far the best for our planet. If you’re looking to try a variety made from corn starch, one that’s completely biodegradable and safe, our new and updated Do Good Poo Bags should be right up your alley.

They even have a fun green print that makes the task of picking up your pet’s waste a little better!