There are over 12 million dogs in the UK, and every paw is a credit to our nation. But, with every dog comes a little extra waste - totalling over 24 million poops a day. Home compostable bags are the ones for you. They're certified by TUV to meet globally recognised standards of compostability. The terms “biodegradable” and “compostable” are often used interchangeably, but they actually refer to two different processes. Biodegradable materials can be broken down by microbes into simpler organic matter. This process occurs naturally and does not require special conditions or treatment. Compostable materials, on the other hand, can be broken down into compost, a nutrient-rich soil amendment. To compost materials, they must be placed in a composting environment where they will be exposed to heat, moisture, and oxygen. These conditions accelerate the decomposition process, allowing the material to break down into usable compost within a matter of weeks or months. Even if they find themselves in landfill, home compostable bags are still an environmental step up from virgin plastic. Their partly plant-based composition makes their manufacture less carbon intensive than virgin plastic, whilst reducing our dependance on fossil fuels, using a renewable resource instead. These poop bags are brilliantly leak-proof and are a generous size, meaning if you’ve got a particularly massive mutt, you’re easily covered. They’re unscented and arrive with tie handles, making it easier for you to scoop up, bag up and throw away without any guilt.

A bit of housekeeping. You do need to be careful when composting your dog's waste as it contains harmful bacteria. The compost heap needs to have the right mix of other ingredients, be turned regularly, and reach the right temperature to kill off any of the harmful stuff in your dog's waste. You can find a composting recipe and guidance here.Beco’s focus on sustainability means that they also offer another recycled poop bags which are made from 40% post-consumer recycled material. While those bags aren’t compostable or biodegradable, they do not use virgin plastic, thereby greatly reducing the impact from producing poop bags. Advantages: Millions of us are worried about the direction our environment is heading in. Plastic keeps choking our oceans and building up landfill that takes years to degrade fully. As dog owners, we’re also likely to use more plastic than we imagine, day in, day out. A prime cause of plastic waste emanating from dog lovers is – of course – poop bags. There's no silver bullet on how to reduce the impact of cleaning up after our dogs. By nature of their use, poop bags are currently very much a single-use product. Greener Walker advises that this batch of bags should last for up to seven months. However, that entirely depends on the size of your dog! Take that with a pinch of salt, but otherwise, this is a great value option that you won’t have to feel bad about throwing away. Advantages:

If you dispose of your dog's waste in park bins or general waste, we'd recommend our recycled bags (scented and unscented). If you can compost your dog's waste at home, our home compostables are the best bags for you. We'd like to raise a glass to everyone keeping our streets tidy by cleaning up after their dog. In fact, let's make that a trophy. So, its benefits aren't compromised if the bag finds itself in a landfill environment. We’ve found a way to use recycled materials to make our sturdy poop bags. In particular, post-consumer recycled materials. That means, every one of our poop bags started life as discarded waste that has been collected, cleaned and repurposed. Certified to multiple compostability and biodegradability standards: OK Compost TUV Home S0329, ASTM 6400 and EN13432 certified

Disclaimer

Firstly, look for poop bag products that are certified under EN 13432 standards. This European regulation confirms items have passed tests to confirm safe compostability. At least 90% of the material used in poop bags manufactured to these standards will biodegrade within six months of disposal. They’re made from cornstarch, the plant-based contents, and PBAT (a biodegradable type of polymer). They'll break down in your very own home compost system, leaving no trace. Only use the compost to feed non-edible plants though, no fruit or vegetables please. ANWA’s bags have gained a popular following online as they are provably biodegradable. Sadly, some brands may be less scrupled when it comes to telling the truth! Advantages: Pet N Pet’s compostable poop bags are certified to EN 13432, which means they’re guaranteed to start degrading after six months of use. That’s a huge weight off your mind!

While both biodegradable and compostable materials eventually break down into simpler organic matter, only compostable materials can be used to improve soil health. As a result, it is important to choose the right type of material for your needs. If you want to reduce your impact on the environment, look for biodegradable products. If you want to improve your garden’s soil quality, choose compostable materials. The bas are unscented and, most importantly, are certified to be home compostable and biodegradable. Beco states that the compost from the bags (with the little present inside) should only be used on garden plants, and not on plants that will be used for consumption. Whether it’s human or dog poo, one most always be careful with the risk of bacterial contamination. Typically home compost piles do not reach the temperatures needed to kill off all the germs, so best to be careful. Then, consider comfort and usability! There’s a misconception that sustainable dog poop bags are always flimsy and leak regularly. This isn’t always the case – the bags we’ve reviewed above, for example, are large enough to cater to most dogs on the move, and are remarkably strong.ANWA’s highly-rated poop bags provide dog owners with another cornstarch-based option when walking out and about. Available in 120 and 240 bag rolls, you’re likely to pay just under 8p per bag – that’s fantastic value! These bags are also fully certified to EN 13432, meaning you can rest easy when throwing dog mess away.

We ran a study and found that 96% of our customers disposed of their pet's waste in park bins or general waste, b oth lead to landfill where very little breaks down.

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