Eco-friendly Dog Poop Bags We Love (Reviews)
When you own a dog, and especially have just gotten a new puppy – you know how much waste they can produce. If you’re looking to reduce your (and your dogs) carbon footprint, you can start with eco-friendly dog waste bags! It reduces plastic waste, and if you compost it can help the process. This will overall reduce the footprints your pup leaves outside.
Read on further for what to look for and which top-reviewed eco-friendly dog poop bags we’ve chosen that can help steer you in the right direction and take the guesswork and stress out of making sure that you’re not accidentally buying the wrong products that may not even be eco-friendly.
Our top picks
How to choose eco-friendly dog poop bags
When it comes to looking for eco-friendly dog poop bags, keep these in mind:
Certification – Proper eco-friendly dog bags will be labelled with a compost certified symbol at the very least. Certified compostable bags with labels as such are accredited stickers that hold them to a legal standard that they will break down. Biodegradable can be trickier, as it means in some cases that some bags just simply break down into smaller pieces of plastic instead of disappearing in an unharmful way. Certification lets you know that the waste dog bag manufacturers followed specific standards instead of just adding an “eco” or “green” tag to their products.
Materials – Not all eco-friendly dog poop bags are the same and the materials they are made from may make a difference in your choices. Some state that they’re eco-friendly and fully biodegradable and compostable but are made from resins and other types of plastics that can do more harm than good.
Most eco-friendly bags are made from corn starch, or starches from other vegetables, and will break down by themselves or in compost bins without causing any more of a carbon footprint.
Price – When it comes to eco-friendly goods, there are a lot of imposters that are misleading and selling at high costs, and it’s no different with poop bags. More expensive doesn’t always mean properly eco-friendly, or even good dog poop bags, so don’t think that you need to spend the most to get good eco-friendly products.
Earth Rated Compostable Dog bags
Our top-rated across the board eco-friendly dog poop bags are the Earth Rated Compostable dog poop bags. These come in several quantities and are ultra thick to help lock in smells and maintaining durability during use. They’re made from vegetable starch and are 100% plant-based and are 105 BPI-Certified. The roll cores and packaging are all recyclable as well.
Earth Rated is also a Canadian company with fantastic customer service and support when needed. These bags are easy to open and are perforated in the right places to avoid any torn and uneven bags while you’re out walking with your dog, which is a major win for any dog tutor.
Pros
- Compostable.
- Durable.
- Plant-based materials.
Cons
- May be some small discrepancy between batches.
Pooch Paper
If you’re in the market for something that’s different from the rest and is completely plastic-free – Pooch Paper might be worth the try! They’re an alternative to plastic dog poop bags and are highly rated as well. The material is durable and won’t tear through or permeate any odours.
Pooch Paper does come in multiple sizes, though if you have an incredibly large dog breed this might not be the product for your pup. Some owners do find it slightly annoying to use compared to a bag, though most have stated that it works just as well and there’s no fuss. It can be thrown directly into compost or intro the trash – as the paper breaks down well.
Pros
- Durable.
- Easy to use.
- No plastics.
Cons
- Can be more annoying to use for some tutors, as it isn’t great for very large dog breeds.
BioBag Biodegradable + Compostable Dog Poop Bags
BioBag is another very highly rated eco-friendly dog poop bag brand, as they are both compostable and biodegradable – which is a nice treat when most bags are generally one or the other.
These do come in a stacked and folded form, as opposed to a standard ‘roll’ form that you can easily toss into a carrier like other dog poop bags. They are easy to carry with you anyways though and break down fast, within a couple days.
Made from vegetable starches, plants, and resin, these break down anywhere and are compostable if that is what you’d like to do with your dog bags and not have to wait ages for time to take its effects. They can also be used for cat litters and other garbage you want to throw away but dislike wasting plastic bags to do so.
Pros
- Highly rated on all review platforms.
- Biodegradable and compostable.
Cons
- Can be more prone to tearing or ripping.
- Doesn’t come in a standard ‘roll’ form.
Our methodology
For this article, we chose these eco-friendly dog bags based on top reviews, owner use, as well as reviews from other peer-trusted review websites. We did ample research to ensure that these eco-friendly dog bags are in fact eco-friendly, and not labelled as such wrongly.
Questions and answers on eco-friendly poop bags
Are eco-friendly dog poop bags worth it?
Depending on your stance about environmental waste, how you’d like to go about cleaning up after your dog, and whether plastic wastes are something you’d like to cut down on – eco-friendly dog poop bags can absolutely be worth it.
Do pets have a large carbon footprint?
Surprisingly, pets do have a large carbon footprint. Most of it though is what you would expect, coming from their diet and pet food manufacturers – especially since most domestic pets are carnivores or mostly so.
Are great value eco dog waste bags biodegradable?
Yes. Great Value ECO dog waste bags are biodegradable and compostable. They are made from corn starch and can break down in compost bins or in landfills within three months.
Can dog poop bags be 100% compostable?
There are certain dog poop bags that can be broken down 100%, but most require specific environments to break down entirely. Composting can be finicky depending on materials and other circumstances like weather as well.
How can I reduce my dog’s carbon footprint?
Changing your dog’s diet (safely and well-researched) can make a lesser carbon footprint. Using eco-friendly toys, dog poop bags like the ones in our list, and other properly eco-friendly things such as dog beds and etc.
What does biodegradable mean?
Biodegradable means that the object in question can be broken down by itself, regardless of environment.
Compostable vs biodegradable: What’s the difference?
Compostable means that the object can break down in the compost environment, which is a specific environment encouraging and helping things break down.
Biodegradable means that the object can break down without any special or curate environment.
What are the most eco-friendly ways of disposing of dog waste?
Composting is the top eco-friendly way to dispose of dog waste, along with bringing your dogs waste to specific processing plants that do deal with eco-friendly dog composting and such.
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Updated date
May 13th, 2022
About the author
Nikki Lyka
Nikki Lyka is a reviewer and writer at Rank-It.ca that’s written about a variety of subjects from the best fantasy novels to travel guides and blogs. When she isn’t researching and typing up a storm, she’s generally found winding down with tea, video games, practicing aerial hoop, photography, and reading good horror novels.
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