Americans own around 90 million dogs. They provide companionship, reduce stress and help us stay active.
They also produce about 12.2 million tons of waste per year. Most of it ends up in landfills, where it generates planet-warming methane. And, all those poop bags can shed microplastics into the environment.
Here’s how you can reduce that environmental poo-print without adding more plastic to the planet than necessary.
Taking care of business
Responsible disposal starts with picking up your dog’s poop. Bags are the most convenient way of doing that, but not all bags are created equal.
Whenever possible, you should avoid bags made from conventional, new plastic, which is derived from fossil fuels. One exception: bags that have already come into your home with things like takeout food and other deliveries. Since these bags are usually destined for a landfill anyway, reusing them to pick up dog poop is “a great option,” said Rebecca Ryals, an environmental scientist at the University of California, Merced.
Bags made from recycled plastic are slightly better than conventional ones, but they still have a fairly large environmental footprint from production and transportation.
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