What happens to dog poop from dog poo bins?

Dog poop from dog poo bins get taken to landfill or incineration.

They are treated as “general waste” in the UK.

Unfortunately, there are no industrial composting systems that accept dog waste in the UK.

Food or garden waste composting facilities will not accept dog poo due to the pathogens or parasites they may contain, and the different treatment processes it will require.

Therefore, all dog poo and their poop bags are sent to general waste disposal streams – landfill or incineration.

This is a very important point to note when considering what dog poop bags we deem as “eco-friendly”.

Often, “biodegradable” or “compostable” dog poop bags are declared the eco-friendlier option, due to the misconception they will simply breakdown into organic matter after disposal.

But certified compostable poo bags will only successfully biodegrade aerobically in a compost environment.

However, as mentioned above, we need to factor in that all our poo bags are ending up in landfill or incineration, and hence measure a poop bag’s eco-friendliness with this in mind.

In landfill, the lack of appropriate conditions (oxygen and moisture levels, temperature, living microorganisms) mean even certified compostable poo bags do not properly breakdown here. Instead, the bags release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, due to the lack of oxygen.

In incineration, biodegradability or compostability is irrelevant, as everything is burnt. Fumes released from bioplastics have found to contain more carcinogens than other plastics.

So – what dog poo bag to use?

Dog poop bags made of recycled waste materials that are already destined for landfill or incineration are currently the most eco-friendly option.

By knowing where our poo bags are headed after disposal, we can use existing waste that is already destined for the same waste streams. This way, no new waste is created, and we save on using scarce fresh resources.

ReSEAcled Dog Poo Bags are award-winning waste-based poo bags that have been developed using research and data. These are the only plastic-negative poo bag, meaning you remove more plastic from our environment than you contribute, simply by picking up your dog’s poo.

Learn more about ReSEAcled Poo Bags here.