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By Potty Buddy Team Published November 25, 2021

4 min

4 Ways To Use Less Plastic Poop Bags (and save money!)

If your main way of dealing with your doggy do-do’s are plastic poop bags, you might be wondering if there’s an alternative out there.

Just like us, our dogs need healthy bowel movements to keep things ticking along nicely. Whether they’re going 2, 3, 4 or 4 times a day, all those bags soon add up! Not only is plastic a bit of a modern day menace, but these bags don’t come cheap either. So what alternatives are there to plastic bags for dog poop? Are there options that are eco-friendly as well as kind to your wallet? Let’s take a look!

Here is a rundown of 4 plastic poop bag alternatives. Let’s find out how they can ease your wallet and your impact.

Brown dog carrying a folded paper through its mouth

1. Newspaper

Sometimes the old school method works the best. Using newspapers means less plastic and most newspapers also naturally decompose. It’s a great way to repurpose something you’ve probably already got around the house too - meaning less $$$ being spent. If you don’t have any however, you can always ask for used papers from your local stores, your friends, or neighbors.

Here’s a really neat tutorial on how to make your own bags from newspaper in a jiffy.

2. Make Your Own Poop Bag

Are you crafty? Handy with a sewing machine? Why not make your own reusable bags! Here’s a handy guide to creating your own, to fit your dog’s needs. The recommended fabric choice is Nylon. This is because Nylon is durable, washes well with bleach and is flexible enough to be scoop-able. As well as costing a fraction of the price, these nylon bags can hold much more poop than your average plastic bag. They also keep the odors contained and are easily sealed. Win Win!

3. DogBuddy - The Portable Pooper Scooper

This handy little scooper comes in a range of sizes for your dog’s needs, and allows a hands free scooping experience. So if you're a little poo-phobic, this might be your choice! It’s possible to use this without bags too, just be sure to clean it thoroughly and safely between uses. At $14 - it’s a fraction of the price of countless plastic bags too.

4. Compostable Bags

Ok let’s be honest, the above options are idealistic...but not always ideal. Maybe your sewing machine skills just aren’t there, you never read the newspaper and you’d forget a pooper scooper unless it was tied to you.

That’s just us anyway…

So sometimes a bag really is your only option. So we did some research and found the greenest bag we could find. And we found it!

The beyondGREEN dog poop bags are manufactured here in the United States, and completely plant-based & chemical free. That’s right, they are made of completely compostable materials.

Which is good to know, as many companies are using the fancy new term “biodegradable” pretty loosely. Compostable bags will naturally return to the earth within a few weeks. Score!

And while pet waste isn’t too home-compost friendly and some industrial composting facilities won’t accept even these bags, there are some solutions.

White dog carrying a green compost bag dispenser

Check for local facilities that accept pet waste, or you could even invest in your own pet waste compost heap. There are plenty of DIY tutorials out there for an easy solution, or you could leave it to the professionals and use beyondGREEN’s Home-Use Pet Waste Composter.

These super clever & super strong bags have odor blocking technology, and are simple to open and tie securely. Plus, with a large capacity, you can use one for multiple presents your doggo deposits, saving you those all-important dollars.

And for the height of convenience, there’s even a plant based Leash Dispenser to go with your new plastic-free bags! And it even comes with a built in sanitizing station - so you can always stay hygienic on the go.