Does the material of the biodegradable dog waste bag come from 100% renewable resources?
Some manufacturers advertise with statements such as “dog waste bags made from corn starch” or “made entirely on the base of plant material”. This can be misleading, because it suggests that the dog waste bags are made completely out of plant-based material. Modern biodegradable starch-based materials, “starch blends”, however, typically consist of 10 to 50 % renewable resources, with the residual being petroleum-based.
This also applies to our TSP biodegradable dog waste bags, which are made with around 30 % renewable resources, currently derived from corn. The remaining composition is petroleum-based. The material is biodegradable and certified for home composting under the defined OK compost HOME test conditions at 20–30 °C. More comprehensive information can be found under Biodegradability.
Does the biodegradable process of the poop bags also work outside of industrial composting?
Even with compostable materials, degradation times are unfortunately often presented in a misleading way. For example, the statement “After about 80 days more than 90 percent of the bags are biodegraded and already after 180 days even the smallest particles are completely metabolized.” references to the European standard EN 13432. Not infrequently such statements conceal that this standard is based on tests under industrial compost conditions with temperatures around 58 °C.
At the same time the EN 13432 standard does not ensure that the compostable poop bags degrade at a considerable speed in a natural environment, where there are much less aggressive conditions than in industrial composting. Thus, the degradation process can take many years or even decades.
TSP biodegradable dog waste bags
TSP biodegradable dog waste bags are home compostable (OK compost HOME certified, tested at 20-30°C). In our test, especially in the warm season, there were already clear signs of biodegradation in a natural environment just after a couple of days. The whole degradation time of our product is dependent on several factors, such as temperature, solar radiation, humidity and the presence of microorganisms. Our biodegradable dog waste bags were visibly almost completely degraded after around 12 weeks in one of our tests in the natural environment of Hamburg (under the test conditions there; not generally transferable to other environmental conditions). If the conditions are very unfavorable, however, such as under a bridge with little moisture, little or no sunlight and just a few microorganisms, our material can last for years.
Our recommendations
In our view, biodegradable dog waste bags should always be OK compost HOME certified: then their biodegradability is also tested at 20–30 °C and not only under industrial composting conditions. In addition, it is recommended that the manufacturer has carried out field tests in the natural environment.
Does microplastics remain?
No – certified compostable material according to EN 13432 is biodegraded and does not merely fragment like oxo-degradable plastic. This is tested under the certification conditions. But be careful: with regard to the degradability, some providers on the market advertise products made from normal plastic such as polyethylene (PE) describing them as “decomposable”, “degradable” or even “biodegradable” if they contain additives such as metal salts, for example. These materials are also called oxo or oxo-degradable. The European Parliament says:
„In such plastic materials, “oxo-biodegradable” additives, typically metal salts, are incorporated into conventional plastics. As a result of the oxidation of those additives, the plastic materials fragment into small particles, which remain in the environment. It is thus misleading to refer to such plastic materials as “biodegradable”. Fragmentation transforms visible littering of items such as plastic carrier bags into invisible littering by secondary microplastics. This is not a solution to the waste problem, but rather increases pollution of the environment by those plastic materials.“
The sale of oxo-degradable plastic products is prohibited throughout the EU since July 3rd, 2021 onwards, as can be seen, for example, in a corresponding EU Directive. Oxo Products can be recognized by the fact that they cannot be certified according to EN 13432 and therefore are not allowed to bear a seal such as the Keimling, OK compost or OK compost HOME. Further the material can be recognized by terms such as “oxo”.
Where are the TSP biodegradable dog waste bags produced?
Our TSP biodegradable dog waste bags are produced in China in a mere bioplastic production. Seeing as the set-up time is shorter there, they can be manufactured more efficiently. This specialization also correlates with greater experience and expertise, which provides the basis for an excellent product.
Our biodegradable dog waste bags can be purchase at selected retailers.