It is a dog waste bag that has a chemical added to the plastic that causes the plastic to break up in little bits under certain conditions. Does it truly and completely biodegrade? Probably not, and the US Federal Trade Commission agrees.
Our company knowledge of biodegradable plastics goes well beyond dog waste bags. We have been working in the field of compostable plastic materials for many years. Currently a biodegradable agricultural mulch film that we designed is part of an on-going study by a group of American Universities, funded by the US Government. While our mulch film does biodegrade out in farm fields, using it for a dog waste bag would not work due to the anaerobic nature of landfills, as biodegradable plastics need oxygen to biodegrade.
A biohybrid™ dog waste bag is made from the combination of traditional plastic and renewable bio-based resin. In our case, the bio-based portion of our product is derived from starch. The addition of bio-based materials lessens the amount of plastic made from non-renewable resources used in the bag, and the waste bag is not designed to break up into little bits.
The combination of the two creates the most earth-friendly product we have been able to come up with. The recycled plastic gets reused and the bio-based material helps lessen the amount of fossil fuels used. Additionally, it is a challenge to work with recycled plastic. We know it is the right thing to do, but using it can be difficult in the manufacturing process. Adding the bio-based resin helps with potential manufacturing problems and increases the quality of the printing and sealing of the bags.
The blend that we purchase contains both. Some dog bag manufacturers claim that their products contain high levels of post-consumer recycled content. We have been purchasing recycled resin for a long time and the best we can find are suppliers of blends of both types. What we like about these blends is that they allow us to run quality dog waste bags without the addition of virgin resin, which is our main focus.
No, because “biodegradability” is not a desirable characteristic for a dog waste bag. It has to do with the bag disposal method. Most of the landfills in the US are anaerobic, meaning, zero oxygen… and oxygen is necessary for any degree of degradation to take place. The bag might be “biodegradable”, but without oxygen, it will just sit there. Also, dog waste contains pathogens, and preferably, pathogens should stay in the bag.
For further information on biodegradability, search the internet for oxo-degradable additives. There are a number of the companies that provide these materials to plastics manufacturers, and the descriptions of how their products cause the plastic to degrade. Often, the description includes the words, “…in the presence of oxygen” as one of the condition requirements for degradation. If oxygen is required and the bags end up in an anaerobic, (zero oxygen) landfill, or a dirt covered, (almost zero oxygen) pit landfill, where will the oxygen come from for the process to take place? Low Oxygen = Low Biodegradation.
Some providers of “biodegradable” bags used to claim their products were 100% biodegradable; then the claim changed to biodegradable; and now it has changed again to simply “degradable”. These changes are likely a result of actions by the Federal Trade Commission, which has ruled that the use of these terms can be misleading. The consumer is led to believe that the bags simply go away, but this is not the case.
The main concern with this type of bag is the disposal method. In an anaerobic landfill, a compostable bag will most likely just sit there. If there is some oxygen available, it will likely turn into methane gas, which is also not good for the environment.
It is possible to compost dog waste, but strict protocols concerning temperature and time must be followed in order to kill the pathogens in the waste. We urge caution and study on this topic. If you want to pursue dog waste composting, a good place to start would be The Pet Poo Pocket Guide by Rose Seeman.
Check with your individual city. We are not aware of any US city that allows dog waste in their general composting program for the reasons noted above. However, we are currently working with a number of cities that are looking at pilot dog waste composting programs. At a municipal level, we think this could be an interesting dog waste solution.
Please remember: do NOT dispose of dog waste in community green waste programs!
The custom printed bags are a powerful marketing tool to present your message to your dog-loving customers. Pet stores, veterinarians, groomers, campgrounds, parks, and marinas all have a story to tell about the goods or services they offer. A custom printed dog waste bag provides the opportunity to tell that story every time the bag is used.
Signs are good, but printed bags are better because your message is repeated. The user takes the bag and reads your ad. The user plays with their dog for a bit and then reaches into their pocket for the bag, and reads your ad again. They pick up the waste, and there is your ad again. They play with their dog a bit and then carry the waste to the can. They read your ad again… and this time they think about what a nice thing it was that your business or group provided the bag!
When the advertising is on the sign, the user might read your ad, but will then go on to play with their dog and forget the advertising message, which results in zero payback on your advertising investment.
The usage process of custom printed bags naturally provides more opportunities to see your message… and, since it is human nature to like free things, the user will probably take an extra bag home with them and read your ad again!
Landfill disposal will need to come to an end at some point, and we welcome that day. Until that time, the solution may lie in both municipal dog waste composting and anaerobic digestion.
