What Are Biodegradable and Compostable Pet Waste Bags?

It's no secret that traditional plastics are not the best choice for the environment, especially trash bags, tote bags, and even now pet waste bags. As people around the world seek to reduce their environmental footprint, alternative options such as biodegradable and compostable pet waste bags are entering the market.

Compostable and biodegradable pet waste bags are less toxic and more environmentally friendly than traditional plastic bags because they break down quickly in the right environment. Known as bioplastics, they are made from renewable materials. Biodegradable plastics contain some components of conventional plastics and can leave behind some toxic residue when they break down in landfills. However, compostable plastic bags can be broken down back to their natural components in a composter or worm farm.

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Typical pet waste bags are essentially made of traditional plastic, which means you're dumping them in landfills and they're contributing to the world's waste pollution. They are usually made of polyethylene resin (PE). These are thermoplastic polymers - meaning they have been heated and reheated to be molded into the correct shape.

Other forms of PE include low-density and high-density polyethylene (LDPE and HDPE). Typically, you'll find HDPE used in more abrasive applications, such as shampoo or toiletry bottles, while LDPE is used in softer applications, such as shopping bags, plastic wraps, and pet waste bags.

They can also be made from bioplastics that degrade quickly in a landfill environment or are compostable, breaking down into natural components in industrial composters, home composters, or worm farms.

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Pet waste bags made from HDPE or LDPE are technically recyclable, but unfortunately, many people just throw them away in the trash at parks or at home. HDPE is flexible when heated and strong when cooled, allowing it to be used in sheets, engineering applications, and product packaging. ​

This type of plastic is chemically and impact-resistant, long-lasting, strong, and lightweight, and, similar to PET (such as soft drink bottles), is easy to recycle. Like HDPE, LDPE can be recycled through melting and used in new products. If not recycled, this plastic can also leach toxic chemicals.

Another problem with these bags is that recycling isn't always easy to achieve - some stores will accept tote bags, but pet waste bags have to be taken to a local recycling facility if it accepts them via curbside collection.

The biggest benefit of using plastic alternatives (such as compostable or biodegradable) for dog poop bags is that you can reduce your environmental impact in many ways. A typical plastic bag can take anywhere from centuries to thousands of years to decompose in a landfill.

Bioplastics refer to plastic alternatives made from renewable resources such as organic materials. Two examples of bioplastics are compostable plastics and biodegradable plastics. This essentially means that these plastics are more sustainable and environmentally friendly than traditional plastics, which can cause several environmental problems.

Biodegradable plastics use specially designed microorganisms to speed up the decomposition process, causing them to break down faster. Biodegradable plastic is also often called "bio-based" plastic because, unlike compostable plastic, it still contains some toxic chemicals.

Biodegradable plastics are typically made by extracting sugar from plants such as corn and sugar cane. They are then converted into polylactic acid. Another way to make biodegradable plastics is to engineer them with microorganisms that break down the plastic faster.

Compostable plastics are an alternative to typical toxic plastics, and the most popular items, such as plastic bags, have been in use for decades. Compostable plastic is a "next generation" plastic made from renewable materials that break down as they begin to compost.

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Biodegradable plastics offer consumers another option that makes them feel like they are protecting the environment.

Some benefits of biodegradable dog poop bags include:

– They decompose faster in a landfill environment – months or a year instead of thousands of years.

– Some ingredients are bio-based and will break down into their natural state.

– They can easily be disposed of in landfills with other household waste.

– You can easily dispose of them in dog parks or public trash cans.

– They are (mostly) safe for humans, wildlife, animals, and the environment.

It should be noted that biodegradable plastics can leave behind some toxic residue when they break down, as the plastic components are still present in the plastic.

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Compostable plastics are an alternative to typical toxic plastics, and the most popular items, such as plastic bags, have been in use for decades. While typical plastic bags can take thousands of years to break down, compostable plastics can break down in industrial composters, home composters or worm farms.

Some benefits of compostable pet waste bags include:

– Reduce your contribution to landfill.

– Will not leach or leave behind toxic chemicals.

– Reduce greenhouse gas emissions during the manufacturing process.

– Reduce water and energy consumption in the manufacturing process.

– Safe for humans, animals, wildlife, and the environment.

– Composting, when properly composted, provides high-quality fertilizer.

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Plastics are used in many everyday products, from medical packaging and food packaging to toys, engineering, and construction products. For bags such as shopping bags, garbage bags, and pet waste bags, plastic has been the traditional choice for years.

However, traditional plastics cause many environmental problems, such as:

– Contribution to landfills.

– Toxic substances leak into the environment (soil, water).

– May be toxic to wildlife, animals, and humans (to some extent, depending on the plastic).

– Use crude oil and other environmentally unfriendly raw materials.

– Use higher levels of energy and water in the manufacturing process.

– Greenhouse gases are emitted into the environment during the manufacturing process.

Unfortunately, many conventional plastics cannot be recycled and not only end up in landfills, but they are also toxic to wildlife and soil. Plastic can take decades, hundreds, or even thousands of years to break down

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Biodegradable pet waste bags are easy to dispose of – they can be thrown into the landfill. This means you can put dog waste in a bag in a regular trash can or in a public trash can. So next time you're at the dog park or walking your dog, you can toss biodegradable pet waste bags in the trash.

However, be aware that biodegradable plastics can leave a toxic residue when broken down into landfills. They also cannot be processed in composters or worm farms.

Compostable plastic bags can be disposed of in industrial composters (large quantities), home composters, or worm farms. However, it is important to understand the exclusions for these disposal methods.

1. If you are disposing in an industrial composting facility, make sure the facility handles dog or animal waste first.

2. If you are composting at home, be aware that dog poop adds acid to the compost. Consider emptying the bag first - you can flush it down the toilet, or use it as fertilizer for your garden, depending on your wastewater disposal.

3. If you are disposing of dog poop bags on a worm farm, follow the instructions above and be careful of excessive acidity in the farm. You may want to follow the methods above to remove dog poop, but worms also eat animal poop.

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Bioplastics (including biodegradable and compostable plastics) are great alternatives to traditional plastics for your everyday needs, such as pet waste bags.

You can dispose of biodegradable plastic bags in landfills and know that they break down faster than traditional plastics. However, compostable plastics can be processed in industrial composting facilities, home composters, or worm farms to return them to their completely natural state.

If you're looking to take small (or big) steps to live more sustainably and reduce your impact on the environment, consider purchasing TORISE's compostable pet waste bags. While you're here, you're also welcome to browse our product list or contact us to learn more about compostable bags!

TORISE, as a professional custom compostable and biodegradable bag manufacturer, is committed to producing modified resin, custom compostable bags, and other environmentally friendly alternatives, providing you with high-quality products. Our manufacturing capabilities include a wide range of products: modified resins, shopping bags, trash bags, dog poop bags, produce bags, garment bags, express bags, gloves, aprons, zipper bags, cutlery, PLA cups, and cutlery. All our products have obtained international authoritative certifications, such as EN13432 (Din Certco), OK Compost, OK Compost HOME (TUV Austria), ASTM D6400 (BPI), AS4736 and AS5810 (ABA).