5 best biodegradable dog waste bags.

The amount of time it takes for dog poop bags to decompose depends on the type of pet waste bags you use and how they’re disposed of. BPI-certified compostable dog poop bags, made of plant-based materials like vegetable starches and PBAT bioplastics, are designed to break down the fastest. Within 12 months at room temperature, 90% of the carbon within the material should degrade, meaning it converts into carbon dioxide (CO2).

On the other hand, pet waste bags containing the Totally Degradable Plastic Additive (TDPA) are not biodegradable. They allow for a smaller percentage of material to break down, but at a slower pace: about 60% degradation within 24 months.

Aside from the materials they’re made from, the rate at which your compostable or oxo-biodegradable dog poop bags break down also depends on environmental conditions, such as the amount of oxygen, heat, agitation, and moisture. These bags require anaerobic conditions (meaning the absence of free oxygen) in order to decompose properly.

A typical dog eliminates roughly 275 pounds of poop per year, according to estimates from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which considers dog waste an environmental pollutant. That means dog feces are a health hazard for humans and other animals that rely on clean waterways polluted by waste that seeps into groundwater or washes off sidewalks into storm drains and streams.

Many people falsely believe that by refusing to pick up their pup’s excrement in a park or yard it simply becomes fertilizer for the dirt or grass. Far from it! Left to decompose on its own, dog doo not only becomes a stinky mess, but it also harbors germs and millions of bacteria, attracting disease-carrying flies and transmitting harmful parasites like roundworm.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), however, composting dog waste can be an effective way to destroy any pathogens. Add mature, or cured, dog waste compost as organic matter to potted plants, lawns, and garden beds. Just be sure not to use it to grow any crops, as even a trace of it isn’t healthy for human consumption.

Many people wonder about how to properly dispose of pet waste. It may be tempting to leave whatever your pup deposits on the ground, but that practice is simply unsanitary. The true scoop on dog poop? Just one gram of this environmental pollutant typically contains 23 million bacteria, such as tapeworms, salmonella, and E. coli.

So what should you do with this unhealthy contaminant? In the right environment, micro-organisms will break down dog waste and create a nutrient-rich compost, which helps to improve soil structure (see above). An industrial composting environment may accelerate the decomposition process via controlled heat and moisture, but not all states and provinces have composting facilities or accept pet waste in the landfill.

Before you throw your compostable dog poop bags in the bin, check to see if they meet the EN13432 Home and Industrial standards for home composting or the ASTM D6400 standard for municipal composting. If you take the DIY route, make sure your compost heap is maintained at 75 degrees F; about 90% of the bag should break down in a year. Keep in mind that the carbon in the bag’s material converts into carbon dioxide (CO2) rather than turning into compost.

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