Oops I Pooped!
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island 
on 06. 9.05
If you have a dog and don’t have a yard, picking up poop is a necessity. Even for those of us that have yards we usually like to keep a clean walking space. The company Oops I Pooped makes biodegradable pet waste bags that are neither heat nor moisture sensitive. Now we’ve seen several companies that make these (and all the dog parks here in Newport have them) but one thing we like about Oops I Pooped is that they are dark black in color and have handles that tie at the top to contain the odor. You can order online and one package contains 88 bags for $8.00. Throw in an all-natural dog treat for $1.50. And if you really love them that much, well, then you can buy an Oops I Pooped cap if you’d like, too. Thanks for the tip, Kerry T.! ::Oops I Pooped
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There is no indication that the cap made out of organic/sustainable materials.
Oh the irony of it all!
How funny, I was going to ask treehugger today about this very topic!
I use a different brand of biodegradable, corn-based bags to scoop my cat litter. I'm wondering if these bags will actually degrade in a landfill, or will they stay as solid waste? (in essense, am I wasting my money on these green baggies?)
Jenn,
Here's the rub - if you don't have a green bin program in your neighbourhood or access to a composter you're shit outta luck.
The Oops I Pooped bags are great, I've used them for a while, but they're not a starch-based plastic as far as I recall. They're a treated plastic that depends on the presence of micro-organisms to break down. Though it states otherwise on their site, I've read that this sort of biodegradable plastic has difficulties breaking down in landfills due to the lack of moisture and appropriate micro-organisms.
I have no doubt that whether they have trouble breaking down in a landfill or not, they're still a WAY better option than conventional plastic bags, if possible though - compost 'em.
Thanks Brian-- appreciate your response.
The thing with scooping kitty poop is that there's inevitably litter stuck to it, which as far as I know, is not compostable. Or at least, my citywide composting program doesn't accept it.
*sigh* still thinking that the greenest choice would be to potty train my cat...
We have a big problem here in the UK. People are collecting their dog crap in plastic shopping bags, or whatever they can get their hands on, and instead of disposing them properly they either toss them into the bushes or leave them by a lamp post. They tend to accumulate and I've seen up to 40 bags discarded inareas around a country park.
Don't they realise this is much worse for many reasons. The plastic bags must act as mini greenhouses causing the number of harmful bacteria and viruses to multiply inside. God only knows what would happen if a child were to come into contact with these poo-time-bombs.
Surely its much better to let nature take its course and biodegrade the shit, rather than litter up the countryside. Some people are just so effin' stupid!
Well Jenn if you want to potty train your cat you should take a look at the City Kitty. http://www.citikitty.com/
do you have an idea of how long these bags take to biodegrade? i've tried to email them but it's a dead email address.