You might feel good about buying compostable dog poo bags – but according to two waste experts, you’ve been misled.
James Piper and Robbie Staniforth, hosts of the Talking Rubbish podcast, have launched a petition to ban environmental claims on compostable dog poo bags, arguing they are “misleading and a form of greenwashing.”
The problem? Dog poo isn’t composted in the UK. Home composting is dangerous because it may contain worms that cause toxocariasis, and industrial composters refuse to take it. Once used, the bags end up in landfill or incineration – never achieving their “compostable” promise.
It gets worse. Research by campaign partner Pet Impact found there are no 100% plant-based compostable poo bags on the market, despite many being labelled “plant-based.” Most contain 50–80% PBAT – a biodegradable fossil-fuel-based plastic.
Piper and Staniforth say the best option is recycled plastic: it supports the recycling industry, has a much lower carbon footprint, and avoids the confusion that leads some dog owners to litter bags under the false belief they will “magically dissolve into the ground.”
With 13 million dogs in the UK producing 36 million poo bags daily, the environmental stakes are high. Keep Britain Tidy, who support the campaign, estimate 260,000 people leave their poo bags behind every day.
The petition coincides with the relaunch of Talking Rubbish on 12 June. The first new episode takes aim at greenwashing, with compostable dog poo bags as a prime example.
Find out more and listen at here.
