As dog owners, we all want to do the right thing — both for our pups and for the planet. But with so many options on the market, choosing the most eco-friendly dog poo bags can be confusing. Terms like biodegradable and compostable sound promising, but do they really mean your dog poo bags will disappear without harm? And what’s the best way to dispose of dog poo once it’s bagged up?
Here’s the honest truth about different types of dog poo bags — and how to make the most environmentally responsible choice.
🌿 What Are Biodegradable Dog Poo Bags?
Biodegradable poo bags are designed to break down faster than conventional plastic. They may be:
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Made from plant-based materials such as corn starch or PLA.
How Biodegradable Poo Bags Break Down
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Step 1: The bag begins to fragment when it comes into contact with light, oxygen, and warmth.
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Step 2: Microorganisms like bacteria and fungi digest the fragments, turning them into CO₂, water, and biomass.
🌿 How Biodegradable Poo Bags Biodegrade
🔑 The Process
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Made with Additives or Plant-Based Materials
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Some biodegradable bags are conventional plastic with added chemicals (like oxo-biodegradable additives) that help the plastic break down faster when exposed to oxygen, sunlight, and microbes.
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Others are made from plant-based polymers (like corn starch or PLA), which can be digested by microorganisms more easily than petroleum plastic.
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Fragmentation Stage
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Sunlight (UV radiation), heat, and oxygen cause the bag to fragment into smaller pieces.
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This stage is much faster than with normal plastic, but doesn’t yet mean it’s fully gone.
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Microbial Breakdown
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Bacteria and fungi consume the fragmented material, converting it into CO₂, water, and biomass.
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This happens much more efficiently in environments with oxygen, moisture, and microbes (like soil or composting conditions).
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⚠️ Problem: In landfill, where oxygen, light and warmth is limited, most biodegradable bags take decades to break down — and some risk leaving behind microplastics.
🌱 What Are Compostable Dog Poo Bags?
Compostable poo bags are made from natural, plant-based materials that can completely break down without leaving toxic residues — but again, only under the right conditions.
How Compostable Poo Bags Compost
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Require aerobic (oxygen-rich) conditions.
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Need high temperatures (55–70°C), moisture, and the right microbial balance.
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In an industrial composting facility, they can disappear within 6–12 weeks.
⚠️ Problem: Most councils do not allow dog waste in food or garden waste collections. Home compost bins usually aren’t hot enough to handle dog poo safely. If these bags end up in landfill, they behave much like regular plastic, and can be harmful to the environment by omitting greenhouse gases.
🛍️ Regular Plastic Poo Bags
Conventional plastic bags are cheap and strong, but they don’t biodegrade or compost. Instead, they break down into microplastics that linger in the environment for hundreds of years.
🚮 The Best Way to Dispose of Dog Poo
🌍 Dog Poo Bags Made Using Less Plastic
As part of our commitment to sustainability and a cleaner planet, our eco-friendly dog poo bags are designed to use far less virgin plastic. Each bag is made from a unique blend of 50% recycled post-consumer plastic and 25% OCEANEX.
So, what’s OCEANEX? It’s an innovative resin that includes powdered oyster shell waste from a sustainable source. By putting seashell waste to good use, we can replace a portion of oil-based polymer with a bio-renewable material — helping us cut down on precious fossil resources while keeping functionality high.
The result? Sustainable dog poo bags made from 75% renewable and recycled materials combined. They’re large, leak-free, unscented, opaque, and finished with easy-to-tie handles — practical for you, kinder to the planet.
And because every detail matters, our packaging and roll cores are also made from recyclable card.
No matter which bag you choose, disposal is key. Here are the best ways to handle dog waste:
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General waste bins or council dog waste bins: The safest and most widely available option. This prevents contamination of recycling or compost streams.
- Never leave it behind: Even in biodegradable or compostable bags, dog poo left in nature is harmful to wildlife, waterways, and public health.
🐶 Final Thoughts
When it comes to biodegradable vs compostable dog poo bags, the biggest difference is in the conditions they need to actually break down. Unfortunately, most of the time — when bags end up in landfill — neither option composts or biodegrades effectively.
The most eco-friendly approach is to:
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Choose a responsibly made bag that balances strength and sustainability.
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Always dispose of dog poo in a general waste bin or designated dog waste bin.
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Stay informed about what your local council allows.
At Pawdaw of London, we believe in transparency and practicality. Caring for the environment means making informed choices — and together, we can make every dog walk a little greener.
