Collection: Compostable Dog Poop Bags

Are dog poop bags compostable?

Completely! But only ones that specifically say they are compostable. Here in Australia, we have standard AS 4736 for industrial composting and AS 5810 for home composting that must be passed to be certified compostable. These are the legal government standards and tests for composting.

If you don’t see these standards and a dog poop bag is just being advertised as a degradable or biodegradable poop bag, then it’s not compostable. And is most likely just a plastic poop bag someone is trying to present as green by using these terms that have been hijacked by marketers to sound good for the environment. Plus, look out for brands with eco-friendly-sounding names that actually just sell plastic poop bags. If it doesn’t say compostable, it’s not.

Here at Oh Crap, we only sell compostable dog poo bags. So if it’s one of ours, you know you are buying compostable dog poop bags.

Are compostable dog poop bags better?

By this point, I think we all know that single-use plastic is bad. It might degrade, but only over a long time, and even then, it just breaks down into millions of smaller pieces of plastic that then get into all our animals and end up inside of us. In fact according to GreenPeace, every single piece of plastic ever manufactured is still in existence today.

If you put an organic dog poop in a plastic poo bag, it will just mummify and never break down. And that just seems silly as it’s organic matter.

Compostable dog poop bags are better because they are certified that they break down into organic matter within 180 days. Going back into the ground and continuing the cycle of life.

Are biodegradable dog poop bags actually biodegradable?

Biodegradable is a very general catch-all term that is used by marketers that can be decoded as ‘will break down at some point’. Biodegradable can be applied to almost any material, including plastic, because over time, nearly everything will degrade, but that could take hundreds of years.

In the case of plastic, it does biodegrade, but it never truly breaks down. Instead, it just breaks down into millions of pieces called microplastics.

On the other hand, for a material to be classed as Compostable, it must pass strict government tests to ensure it completely breaks down into organic material within 180 days. The term compostable is a very small subcategory of the overall category of biodegradable. So compostable products can also be called biodegradable, but not all biodegradable products are compostable.

This means when you see the term biodegradable dog poo bags, that is code for plastic poop bags. However, when you see compostable dog poop bags that pass standards AS 4736 & AS 5810, you know they truly degrade to organic material.

Oh Crap dog poop bags are made from cornstarch and is certified compostable by the Aussie government.

What is the most eco-friendly way to pick up dog poop?

If you are cleaning dog poop up from the back yard then putting it straight into the dog poo compost is a great option. However, if you are out and about, the most eco-friendly way to pick up dog poop is with a compostable dog poop bag.

Do Compostable Dog Poop Bags Have Handles?

Some compostable dog poop bags have handles and some don’t. It depends what you are looking for. Here at Oh Crap we offer large rectangle dog poop bags without handles and handled dog poop bags. Plus Oh Crap handled dog poop bags are vision empaired approved.

Bulk Compostable Dog Poop Bags Options?

Choosing compostable dog poop bag bulk options is a great idea to save on shipping, however, it comes with a caveat… compostable dog poop bags do degrade - that is what they are designed to do after all.

Oh Crap dog poop bags last for 12 months after you order them in cool, dry conditions. They may last longer for you, but it all comes down to keeping them dry and cool. So if you intend to use them within 12 months that's fantastic, if not we suggest you buy only what you will need in the next 12 months.

We know dog walkers and dog clubs love our bulk compostable dog poop bag option. Plus, we also know some of the #OhCrapFamily buy as part of a group of friends, which is a great idea in our opinion and choose the Mega Poop Pack, as it is 4x one-year packs together, so makes it super easy to share out.

Are Cheap Compostable Dog Poop Bags Good?

Like anything in life, you get what you pay for. Over recent years some cheap compostable dog poop bags have hit the market. They look inviting because you are doing your bit for the world, but the only way to make cheap compostable dog poop bags is to make them really thin so they use less material.

The issue is that they can be so weak that poop falls straight through them because they aren’t strong enough. Or they degrade quickly as they are thinner, so may only last a few months before they are totally unsuitable.

Plus, because cheap compostable dog poop bags are thin, you get that warm, wet crap feel and smell all over your hands. yuk!!! It’s for this reason that we chose to make our Oh Crap compostable dog poop bags 3x thicker than average dog poop bags. One to ensure they keep their integrity over a long period of time. And two, you don’t get that crap feel all over your hands every time you pick up your furry friend's business.

How long does it take for dog poop to decompose?

The average time for Oh Crap Dog Poop Bags to decompose is 3 months. Each bag will vary based on the individual conditions but expect anywhere from 3 - 6 months.

The AS 4736 & AS 5810 composting standards here in Australia state that for something to pass the composting tests that it must be 90% gone in 12 weeks and completely gone in 180 days. Oh Crap dog poop bags pass these tests with flying colours; that is why our bags carry these composting certification logos.

How do I store Oh Crap Dog Poop Bags?

Although our poop bags are designed to decompose, they have a long shelf life. Oh Crap Dog Poop Bags last for at least 12 months when stored in cool, dry conditions. If your bags have been affected by rain when out on a walk, you have approximately 30 days to use up the rest of the roll.