“And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind.  And God saw that it was good.”  (Genesis 1:25)

In support of decreasing plastic use, here’s The Scoop on Poop Bags for those who need to clean up after their dogs:

Poop bags – compostable, biodegradable or made of recycled plastic

If compostable or biodegradable bags are disposed of in the garbage, they will go to the landfill where they breakdown and create methane in the anaerobic conditions of the landfill.  (Methane is a product of organic materials breaking down and is 80 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide though shorter lived).  Home compostable bags will break down in backyard compost bins if the temperature gets hot enough (at least 73 degrees for at least 5 days and if there is oxygen circulating)  The compost is good for flowers and trees but not for edible plants.  Industrial compost sites can degrade compostable bags.  All compostable bags are biodegradable but not all biodegradable bags are compostable.  Some labelled as compostable are traditional plastic bags.  Unlike biodegradable bags, compostable bags need to meet certain standards, such as the American ASTM D6400 and European EN 13432. To make sure a bag is truly compostable, look for certification logos on the product

Without a compost bin, poop bags with >50% post consumer recycled material is probably best for most of us as they help prevent new plastic production.  Unless opened they will not release organic material into the landfill creating methane.  But eventually they will release microplastics.

A new 3^rd option has come to my attention which I am going to try – paper poop sheets.  Here’s the scoop:  Our 14” x 14” Pooch Paper sheets are designed to securely wrap around dog waste, keeping your hands clean and protected. Made from biodegradable, grease-resistant paper, they fold neatly and twist securely, ensuring a mess-free and eco-friendly disposal.  The caveat is that when thrown into the garbage and subsequently the landfill, methane will be released, but no plastic!

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–Beth Jackson, God’s Green Team lead