Frequently asked questions (FAQ) - and answers

Ideally, our biodegradable dog waste bags should be stored in a dry and cool (at most at room temperature) place, and out of direct sunlight.

Please keep in mind that the rate of degradation of the material depends very much on the environmental factors. Under certain conditions, e.g. direct sunlight, high temperatures or high humidity, the certified biodegradability of our biodegradable dog waste bags can cause the material properties to be affected already during storage.

So that consumers can benefit from the best material properties of our biodegradable dog waste bags, we recommend to our B2B business partners (e.g. dog shops) that the bags are used within one year of the production date.

This is due to the material properties of the bags. They do not disintegrate afterwards, but become somewhat more brittle/fragile over time, depending on the environmental factors and storage conditions. Under certain conditions, e.g. direct sunlight, high temperatures or high humidity, the certified biodegradability of our biodegradable dog waste bags can cause the material properties to be affected already during storage.

We deliberately refrain from using a specific best-before date in order to avoid unnecessary waste of material, as it is often the case that correctly stored bags (dry, max. at room temperature, without direct sunlight) are still fully functional/usable approx. 1.5 years after the production date. Nevertheless, we generally recommend using them within one year of the production date. In our experience, this period is absolutely sufficient in the vast majority of cases.

Of course, we only sell newly produced goods to our B2B business partners (e.g. dog shops). Depending on the speed of sales in the shop, it can of course take a few months for consumers to buy the goods and start using them. Therefore, in rare cases – and depending on the environmental factors and storage conditions – the material properties described above may change. If consumers store our biodegradable dog waste bags correctly and use the bags within a few months of purchase, they can generally benefit from the best material properties.

That depends very much on the environmental factors. In industrial composting:

At temperatures of approx. 60 °C, according to the European standard EN 13432 (“OK compost”), at least 90 % of the organic material must have been converted into CO₂ after a maximum of 6 months. Our biodegradable dog waste bags do this with ease – even if we made the material almost 8 times as thick, our material still meets the norm. The thicker a material, the longer it takes to break down (similar to a tree trunk compared to a branch).

In home composting (garden compost):

All “OK compost HOME” certified materials also comply with EN 13432, but biodegradation is also tested under home compost conditions at 20 – 30 °C. At least 90 % of the material must be degraded within 12 months. Our material is certified up to a nominal thickness of 63 µm – at 18 µm, our dog waste bags are considerably thinner. Enzymes act on the surface, which is why thinner material is broken down correspondingly faster. Our dog waste bags could therefore also be safely used as small compostable garbage bags for the kitchen and then composted on the garden compost. However, we also offer compostable garbage bags in various sizes for this purpose. Dog droppings should not be composted as they can contain pathogens and the temperatures on the domestic compost are not sufficient to safely render them harmless.

Outside of composting facilities:

In nature, every place has different decomposition conditions. Even if two bags are only a few meters apart, there are differences in the UV or solar radiation, the humidity, the temperature, but above all in the number and diversity of the microorganisms present, which ultimately take over the majority of the biological degradation. The rate of breakdown also varies accordingly – under good breakdown conditions in the nature of Hamburg, only part of the knot was left after 12 weeks in one of our tests in spring! However, if the bag is under a bridge with little sunlight, moisture and hardly any microorganisms, the organic bag can survive there for years. However, this also applies to other organic material such as twigs or leaves.

In principle, dog waste bags (including ours) should always be disposed of in accordance with local waste disposal regulations. As a rule, this is – due to pathogens that may be contained in dog excrement – via the residual waste with subsequent thermal recycling. Biodegradable dog waste bags also differ from bags made from virgin PE when disposed of via residual waste with subsequent thermal recovery: The biogenic carbon contained in the bio-based raw material was previously absorbed from the atmosphere during plant growth. During incineration, this carbon is released again as biogenic CO₂; no fossil carbon is released from the plant-based components.

When filled, all dog waste bags – regardless of whether they are biodegradable or not – always belong in the residual waste. If all dog owners always adhere to this, this would significantly reduce the negative effects of PE dog waste bags on the environment (through littering) in particular.

We regularly carry out clean-up campaigns, during which we have already found and disposed of thousands of dog waste bags. These include folded, unused bags that were obviously unintentionally released into the environment. In addition, many dog ​​waste bags are even willfully disposed of. It is therefore crucial for us that as many dog ​​waste bags as possible are replaced with degradable material. In order to ensure that biodegradation is also fundamentally possible at ambient temperatures, home compostability is a particularly relevant indicator from our point of view, since tests are carried out here at 20 – 30 °C (albeit under defined conditions). Compared to industrial compostability (at temperatures above 60 °C) and „oxo“ dog waste bags (approx. 97 – 98% PE + 2% additives such as metal salts), home compostability is therefore a central added value for us.

Bags filled with dog excrement should always be disposed of with the residual waste due to the presence of pathogens. Biodegradable dog waste bags also differ from bags made from virgin PE when disposed of via residual waste with subsequent thermal recovery: The biogenic carbon contained in the bio-based raw material was previously absorbed from the atmosphere during plant growth. During incineration, this carbon is released again as biogenic CO₂; no fossil carbon is released from the plant-based components.

We regularly send our biodegradable dog waste bags to leading certification authorities (TÜV Austria, DIN Certco) in order to have them tested accordingly. TÜV Austria awards the recognized “OK compost HOME” logo. All OK compost HOME certified materials comply with EN 13432, but biodegradation is also tested under home compost conditions at 20 – 30 °C. At least 90 % of the material must be degraded within 12 months. The thicker a material, the longer it takes to break down (similar to a tree trunk compared to a branch). Our material is certified up to a nominal thickness of 63 µm – at 18 µm, our dog waste bags are considerably thinner. Enzymes act on the surface, which is why thinner material is broken down correspondingly faster.

We also carry out our own tests on a regular basis: under good decomposition conditions in the nature of Hamburg, only part of the knot was left after only 12 weeks in one of our own tests in spring! However, if the bag is under a bridge with little solar radiation, moisture and hardly any microorganisms, the bag can survive there for years. However, this also applies to other organic material such as twigs or leaves.

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”.

Today’s biodegradable materials based on starch, so-called “starch blends” usually have a share of 10 – 50 % renewable raw materials, the rest is petroleum-based. This also applies to our biodegradable dog waste bags. They are made with around 30 % renewable raw materials that currently come from corn. The rest of the composition is petroleum-based, but has a chemical structure that can be broken down by enzymes and then metabolized by microorganisms to water, CO₂ and biomass – similar to the plant components. The material is biodegradable and certified for home composting under the defined OK compost HOME test conditions at 20–30 °C.

Some manufacturers advertise on the market with statements such as “dog waste bags made from corn starch” or “made entirely from plant materials”. Most of the time, this is consumer deception or at least misleading, as this suggests that the dog waste bags are made entirely from vegetable material. Bags made from 100 % corn starch are hardly possible with the current state of the art. If you see such an offer, ask how much plant there is really in the product.

Dog waste bags have reduced the dog waste problem in many places in recent years, but at the same time a plastic waste problem, since the vast majority of bags used consists of conventional plastic. Fatal and much more problematic than, for example, with shopping bags: Dog owners understandably like to walk their dog in green spaces or by the water – in other words, where it is particularly painful when the bags get into the environment. Especially in water it is often impossible to get the bags back from the environment. In addition, many dog ​​waste bags are even willfully disposed of.

It would be best if the bags and dog waste do not end up in the environment in the first place – regardless of whether it is conventional plastic or biodegradable material. Therefore, in 2015 we started what is probably the last largest study on the subject of dog waste bags in the environment with the “Poop Bag Map”. This is an interactive map in which users could enter the places where they found dog waste bags in the environment. In the course of this, we also started a large clean-up campaign in a densely populated residential area of ​​Hamburg, in which over 500 dog waste bags could be retrieved from nature.

With this environmental project, we were able to reach over 7 million contacts through reporting in various media and thus essentially help to raise public awareness of the problem. In addition, we were able to enable cities and municipalities with the data obtained to optimize the rubbish bin locations. In the course of this, however, it has also become obvious that this optimization can reduce the environmental input, but cannot completely avoid it and that there is a need for a holistic solution. Keyword: biodegradable dog waste bags!

In practice, we have not yet found that the use of biodegradable dog waste bags results in more dog waste bags ending up in the environment.

Both we and our “b2city” customers (cities and municipalities) have been observing the situation regarding dog waste bags in the environment very closely for some time. Just like us, the municipalities have no interest in dog waste bags ending up in the environment. Not least because the corresponding cleaning costs the municipalities a lot of money, plus the difficult to quantify damage caused by the uncollected dog waste bags remaining in nature. Our “b2city” customers are usually loyal customers who have often ordered from us again in recent years – they would not do that if more dog waste bags ended up in the environment through the use of the biodegradable version. On the contrary: our customers (both municipalities and end consumers) are very careful and environmentally conscious – they make sure that no plastic gets into the environment. In addition, we often sell unprinted, biodegradable dog waste bags to municipalities. That means that the dog owners often don’t even know what material the bags that are posted in the public dispensers are made of.

Furthermore, studies show that littering is mainly determined by convenience, situational circumstances and cultural norms – not by material properties.

But even if that were the case (thought game): let’s assume that by using the biodegradable version, a drastic 20% more dog waste bags end up in the environment compared to before. If you then look 5 years into the future, there would ultimately be significantly less plastic in the environment, so the effect would be positive even then – provided, of course, that the bags used are biodegradable at a significant rate under local temperature conditions.

The term “bio” is used in the field of plastics for materials that are either biobased (contain a proportion of renewable raw materials, regardless of the amount of the proportion), are biodegradable, or meet both criteria. A plastic that is 100 % made from petroleum is therefore also referred to as a bioplastic or bioplastic, just like a plastic that is made from 100 % vegetable components but is not degradable. In contrast to food, the term “bio” in the field of plastics does not mean the ecological production of the renewable raw materials used.

High-quality materials are used in the manufacture of our biodegradable products: a starch blend made from renewable raw materials and a biodegradable copolymer with a chemical structure that can be broken down by enzymes and then metabolized by microorganisms into water, CO₂ and biomass. Compared to PE, this material costs 3½ to 4 times as much when it comes to purchasing.

In retail, our biodegradable dog waste bags cost around 1½ to 3 times (RRP) as much as conventional dog waste bags made of PE and therefore appear expensive in a direct comparison. Nevertheless, it is still a low-priced item, so the absolute additional costs per dog waste bag are still low. If not only the acquisition costs of PE dog waste bags are considered but also the possible follow-up costs, biodegradability appears to be a comparatively inexpensive measure for reducing plastic residues that remain permanently. The retrieval of dog waste bags, for example from bodies of water, would result in a multiple of the costs. If, on the other hand, the bags remain in the environment, external costs arise (negative environmental impacts for the general public that are not compensated for), for example through the formation of microplastics or ingestion by animals. In order to ensure a fair comparison of profitability, the follow-up costs must be considered as well as the acquisition costs.

Dog waste bags:

In addition to the biodegradable version, we also offer recycled dog waste bags. These are made from at least 80 % recycled material (PE) to conserve resources. The production of recycled PE causes significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions than the production of comparable virgin PE. Using recyclate reduces the demand for newly produced PE from fossil primary raw materials.

As long as it is ensured that the bags are always disposed of correctly (in the residual waste), it can be said quite clearly that recycled PE is a good material from an ecological point of view – at least as long as fossil raw materials (e.g. crude oil) are used to generate energy. This is due to the high calorific value and good combustion properties of PE in waste incineration.

However, we regularly carry out clean-up actions, during which we have already found and disposed of thousands of dog waste bags. These include folded, unused bags that were obviously unintentionally released into the environment. Since this environmental pollution and the willful disposal of filled bags unfortunately still occur far too often, the biodegradable dog waste bags are the first choice in this regard.

Garbage bags:

Our TSP recycled garbags bags, all certified with the Blue Angel, are produced in a resource-saving manner in the EU from at least 90 % post-consumer waste (PE), e.g. from household recyclable material collections. The use of such recycling materials makes an important contribution to the conservation of resources by substituting primary plastics and using plastics that have already been used at least once again in products. In addition, the use of recycled PE is associated with significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions during production than the use of comparable virgin PE.

In addition, our recycled bin liners are made from a mono-material (PE) and are therefore very well suited for recycling. This means another option for collecting recyclable materials. The film-free packaging is of course also recyclable (in the waste paper).

In fact, recycled paper is basically a good raw material. The use of the material is particularly useful for products in which the existing material, e.g. plastic, can be replaced one-on-one (in terms of quantity) with recycled paper. However, this does not apply to dog waste bags.

Paper is only stable from a certain thickness and only then offers sufficient protection against the dog feces to be disposed of. In addition, recycled paper quickly becomes soaked in wet weather or snow. Because the more often a paper fiber is recycled, the shorter and more unstable it becomes. That is why fresh fibers are often added, but they can only be seen as environmentally friendly as long as they come from sustainable forestry.

The material weight of dog waste bags made of sturdy paper or cardboard, which are available on the market, is approx. 20 grams / piece. This is about 10 times as heavy as a dog waste bag made of bioplastic or recycled plastic (approx. 2 grams / piece) and therefore completely oversized for use, i.e. the disposal of dog waste. The higher the amount of material used, the greater the corresponding effects, since, for example, far fewer units fit into one box compared to the thinner dog waste bags made of bioplastic or recycled PE. This means a much higher logistic effort, since much more material (weight / volume) per unit has to be transported than when using a thinner / lighter material.

In terms of user-friendliness, dog waste bags made of bioplastics or recycled plastic clearly score points over those made of paper / cardboard. Because: they fit in almost any trouser or jacket pocket, no matter how small, do not have to be folded before use and are characterized by a pleasant feel and ease of use.

In our founding phase, we spent a long time working intensively on the various materials that can be used in the manufacture of dog waste bags. In doing so, we came to the clear conclusion that the bioplastic or recycled plastic used for TSP products is the most suitable material in the field of dog waste bags – not only from an ecological point of view.

It all depends! There are various impact indicators that can be used for such an assessment. For example: greenhouse gas potential, non-renewable energy consumption, acidification potential, primary energy consumption, eutrophication potential, land use, ozone formation potential, human toxicity, ozone depletion potential, water consumption. Depending on the material and weighting of the impact indicators, the results are mixed.

As long as it is ensured that the dog waste bags are disposed of correctly in the residual waste, recycled PE is a sensible material. In the subsequent waste incineration, the high calorific value of the material used (PE) comes into play: a lot of energy can be recovered. As long as fossil raw materials such as crude oil are burned for energy generation anyway, it also makes sense to use the same material (PE) beforehand to manufacture such products.

However, we regularly carry out clean-up actions in the environment, during which we have already found and disposed of thousands of dog waste bags. These include folded, unused bags that were obviously unintentionally released into the environment. Unfortunately, this pollution, like the willful disposal of filled bags, still occurs far too often. Against this background, from our point of view, the biodegradability of dog waste bags in the open environment is the most important indicator in the overall ecological assessment of the materials. If, however, it is ensured that the bags are always properly disposed of in the residual waste, both variants are definitely a good choice in our opinion!

When our founder Arne noticed almost 100 dog waste bags in the grass verge along the route while jogging in Hamburg on a distance of approx. 5 km, he was shocked. So the desire arose to solve this plastic waste problem. In the same year, together with a Swiss company he developed bio-based dog waste bags for urban needs that are biodegradable under local temperature conditions. This makes us one of the pioneers in this area worldwide.

Our biodegradable bags are not just an extension of the existing product portfolio. Our company emerged from a study project to combat the plastic problem. The awareness of environmental problems and the need for alternatives that are as sustainable as possible are therefore firmly anchored in the core of our corporate culture.

On www.thesustainablepeople.com you can find all information about this in the menu under “Buy”. We offer suitable solutions and places for all interest groups (retailers, municipalities, companies, consumers) to purchase our products.