What every dog owner should know about biodegradable poop bags

With a formidable 4.9/5 customer rating and over 1,500 reviews, it's clear that Amazon shoppers adore Doggy Do Good's biodegradable, veggie-based poop bags. They're made from cornstarch (a renewable resource) and other bio-based proprietary components, and they comply with U.S. standard ASTM D6400, which means they're compostable. (The company's website says they'll break down to organic matter in 90 days or less when placed in an industrial composting facility.) 

Reviewers on Amazon assert they're plenty thick and durable — strong enough to hold kitty litter, even — and that they're very easy to dispense and open, with enough room to tie a secure knot thanks to some gusseted, expandable side panels. Moreover, both the bags' core rolls and their packaging are made from 100% recycled materials.

That's all fine and good, but finding how and why Doggy Do Good came to be was what really won us over. Billed as a "mom & pop (and pup!)-run shop," the brand's founders were inspired to create "a pet supply company with a purpose" several years ago after rescuing a pair of dogs: Olive Bean (Doggy Do Good's now-"Executive Cuteness Officer") and Annie Banannie (its current "Chief Barketing Manager"). So, along with making environmentally friendly products that reduce pets' "carbon pawprint," Doggy Do Good donates a portion of all proceeds to animal rescues and no-kill shelters. You truly love to see it.

Out of all of the different types of poop bags on this list, contenders for this category were probably the hardest to track down: Lots of "eco-friendly" scented poop bags on Amazon are still sold under the guise of being biodegradable when they're actually oxo-biodegradable (which, again, means they break down into icky microplastics, not organic matter). Tsk tsk.

As far as we can tell, My AlphaPet is the only brand that doesn't greenwash its scented poop bags — they're made from cornstarch and comply with U.S. standard ASTM D6400, which means they're legitimately compostable; as soon as they touch organic matter, they'll begin to break down. (But not so fast as to rip, tear, or leak in your hands: A star-sealed base and 20 micron-thick construction add some extra protection between you and your dog's dung.)

Fragrance-wise, My AlphaPet's scented bags easily mask the odor of dog poop with the scent of fresh roses. (Appropriately, they come in both pink and red.) Amazon reviewers note that the bags' smell can be a little overwhelming, but hey — it's better than the alternative, right?

Tracking down biodegradable poop bags that come with an equally eco-friendly dispenser/holder also turned out to be a lot harder than we thought. The vast majority of dispensers are still being made out of plastic, so most brands don't even have a horse in this race.

That being said, My AlphaPet's bamboo fiber dispenser isn't perfect: It's only partially biodegradable (up to 70%), and a lot of Amazon reviewers say its cap falls off easily. But given the facts that it's made from a quickly renewable resource and that it can at least *somewhat* decompose — unlike plastic, which stays plastic for eons — it's the best choice in this category by far.

My AlphaPet's bamboo dispenser can hold one 15-bag roll at a time, and you can buy it as part of the brand's Starter Pack, which also includes a clip attachment for your dog's leash and 60 of the company's standard compostable poop bags. (Spoiler: They're exactly the same as those aforementioned Scented Pink and Red poop bags — ASTM D6400-compliant and durable — only lime green and fragrance-free.)

Successfully knotting the ends of a precariously full poop bag with gloved hands is a dog owner's rite of passage, but it doesn't have to be that way. 

Enter: the handled dog poop bag.Doggy Do Good (the brand that manufacturers our No. 1 pick overall) and an Australian company called Planet Poop sell bags of this variety that are nearly identical: They're both made of cornstarch and other bio-based proprietary components; they both comply with U.S. standard ASTM D6400, which makes them 100% compostable; and they're both extra long at 17.7 and 16 inches, respectively. Plus, both companies donate a portion of their proceeds to animal rescues.

It's a tough call, but we like Planet Poop's handled bags just a tad more because they come in rolls that are easy to stash in a coat pocket, backpack, or purse, whereas Doggy Do Good's handled bags are dispensed from a box (à la tin foil or parchment paper) that's designed to sit on a pantry or garage shelf. It's a nit-picky detail, to be sure, but at the end of the day, this minor design choice makes Planet Poop's bags much more convenient for pooches (and pooch owners) on the go.

No matter the size of your dog (or his/her BMs), extra-large poop bags are great to have on hand because they can do double duty with things like dirty pee pads and cat litter (both of which come in eco-friendly varieties nowadays, FYI).

Since most biodegradable bags made specifically for pet cleanup don't get any larger than a gallon, we decided to look into different brands of general-purpose trash bags to find this category's top dog. Our winner? UNNI's compostable, corn-based trash bags: They're available in sizes as large as 65 gallons — good for animal shelters, maybe — but at 2.6 gallons, even UNNI's smallest bag is big enough for the messiest of pet messes. (Pro tip: Stick one on the end of your pooper scooper or swivel bin for no-sweat cleanup.) 

The only (admittedly very minor) issue we can find with UNNI's compostable bags is that they appear to be somewhat see-through. (They're thinner than most of the other bags on this list, so that checks out.) But don't let the absence of a few microns fool you into thinking these things are flimsy: Amazon reviewers say they're plenty durable, and that rips and tears aren't a concern so long as you don't let full bags sit around for more than a day or so. (That gives them the opportunity to start breaking down.)

In the words of Kourtney Kardashian: We all have different priorities. And hey, maybe yours is tracking down a dog poop bag that saves the environment *and* makes for a great photo op. (No judgment here — the pet influencer business can be heckin' lucrative.) If so, allow us to introduce you to the biodegradable poop bags made by BARK, the company behind your dog's favorite subscription service.

Sold in boxes of 300, these punny bags are available in two different themes: The ones in the "Pug Life" pack (pictured) are emblazoned with hip-hop-inspired phrases like "poop there it is!" and "I love it when you call me Big Poopa." And for the more politically inclined, the "Poopaganda" set encourages humans and dogs alike to "do your civic doody" and "make logs, not war!" just in time for this year's presidential election. What a time to be alive.

Keep in mind that as a U.S. standard ASTM D6954-compliant product, BARK's poop bags are technically oxo-biodegradable and won't decompose completely; instead, they'll gradually break down into minuscule microplastic particles. Having said this, there are greener bags out there, but BARK's are definitely better than the petroleum-based alternative.

Few methods of pet waste disposal are as eco-friendly as simply picking up your dog's poop with a piece of toilet paper and flushing it down your toilet, just as you would a human turd. But since you probably want something a *little* more substantial between your hand and your dog's fecal matter, and since paper towels and wipes can clog your pipes, and since training Fido to use the toilet seems like a lot of work on both your parts, a flushable poop bag is the way to go, here. 

The ones we like best are made by the aptly named brand Doodie Flush: They're hella sturdy, according to Amazon reviewers, and the fact that they're made from water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) means they'll dissolve in your toilet in minutes. They'll come in clutch if you don't have access to an industrial composting facility, or if your dog does their business on an artificial grass bathroom mat out on your deck/balcony.

One thing to note about using flushable bags like Doodie Flush's: Never send those bad boys down a toilet that's hooked up to a septic tank; they're meant to only be processed through sewage systems (and even then, make sure it's OK with your local treatment plant first).