The done-thing with dog poo is to pick it up in a plastic bag and put it in the bin. It’s quick, it’s tidy, it’s convenient, but – it’s not the best option! Plastic dog poo bags (as with a lot of plastic products) are a short term fix that can have negative implications for the planet. If you’re trying to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle, like we are here at Lily Blaze, then listen up! 

Millions of dog owners pick up their dog’s dumps in a small plastic bag, specially made for the job, and deposit it in the bin. Sometimes this is a dog poo bin, sometimes it’s just a normal litter bin (spoiler alert: it doesn’t really matter!). This method keeps streets clean and makes walking a more pleasurable experience. It’s a good way of getting rid of poo… but what happens next? Well, the poo (which is entirely organic and natural) wrapped up in plastic (totally not organic and natural) gets shipped off to a landfill. Once it gets there, the poop actually becomes a major contributor to the methane gas that is emitted from the landfill.

We don’t need to tell you that dog poo is gross – it smells, it spreads disease, need we go on? So of course, we need to get rid of it. But what’s the best way of doing it? This may come as a surprise for some, but flicking it in the bush is not the answer! Apart from being gross, dog waste can spread diseases including tapeworm, roundworm, giardia and E. coli. Additionally, if a dog’s waste got somewhere too close to a watershed then the bacteria could enter the ground water which ends up in water courses and eventually, the ocean. This can cause algal blooms and shut down beaches! Trying to reduce your use of plastic is not a reason to stop picking up your dog’s dumps. So, what should we do?

The answer is to look for an alternative! When choosing which dog poop bags to use, check that they are both biodegradable and compostable. That way there will eventually be no trace left of them.