{"id":19312,"title":"What goes in must come out... unfortunately!","description":"Of all the things I thought I would find myself blogging about, I can't say that dog poo was very high on the list. Why would it be. It's gross and it's the thing that puts many people off having a dog.","content":"

Of all the things I thought I would find myself blogging about, I can't say that dog poo was very high on the list. Why would it be? It's gross and it's the thing that puts many people off having a dog. But as responsible dog owners, we're accountable not only for feeding Jerry but dealing with the inevitable poop that follows.<\/p>

So what's Jerry's poo got to do with his carbon pawprint? The problem is that we tend to bundle it up in little plastic bags that then head straight to landfill via a litter bin. It's the dirtiest form of single-use plastic imaginable.<\/p>

Any that don't go to landfill are likely incinerated. Neither outcome sounds great. I've learned that it's possible to set up a home dog poo composting system which takes paper dog poo bags. I suppose would be fine if your garden is big enough to site it away from any areas where you might want to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee on a morning or an evening BBQ with friends. Unfortunately, we're not that lucky to have enough outdoor space to consider it. Not that my husband would even allow it if we did!<\/p>

So is there anything else we can do to mitigate or reduce the impact of Jerry's plastic-wrapped poops? There are loads of different types of dog poo bags marketed online. Each of them claims eco points, such as compostable, plastic-free or plant-based.<\/p>

Right now, we're using 'classic black degradable poop bags' from a pet store. A few things to point out. I already learned online that degradable and biodegradable are two very different things. Biodegradable is organic and breaks down into the soil when in the right conditions. Degradable means the plastic will break down into smaller parts. Basically, microplastic! \ud83d\ude31 I can't think of a reason why degradable would be a selling point and I suspect casual shoppers assume it\u2019s a good thing. On a recent litter pick up the street, I encountered some 'degradable' plastic. It broke into thousands of little pieces the second the litter picker touched it and could only be scooped up with a glove.<\/p>

The packaging says 'Sorry this plastic bag is not yet recyclable but we're working on changing that'. So it's degradable plastic wrapped in non-recyclable plastic. It says 100% satisfaction guaranteed, though I'm struggling to work out what that could apply to as all it's telling me is how bad the product is for anything other than packaging our dog's poo up to become someone else's (all of our) problem. I haven't named the pet store here because I fear every other bargain dog poo bag from other retailers is the same or similar. In any case, now I know what I know, the bags will have to change.<\/p>

I read online that dog owners should be using cornstarch bags because they break down fast. But they don't appear to be made in the UK yet. So there's a definite downside with the carbon emitted in shipping the bags here. And one thing I can't find an answer to is what if the bag goes somewhere it can't or won't be composted anyway? There are bags that say they can be composted at home or in industrial composters. But again I can't see the council sorting out the biodegradable from the plastic when they empty the bin. So won't it just go to landfill or incineration anyway? Yes in landfill it could theoretically biodegrade into soil, but mixed in with all the other detritus... the whole thing is a stinking minefield. But one thing I'm sure of: as long as the bag is strong enough not to break or leak, a non-plastic alternative is a good move.<\/p>

I can't write about dog poo without talking about the ultimate dog owner sin. Leaving the poo on the path\/field\/park\/beach\/woods\/car park or wherever else our little darlings do their business. Anyone who has ever stood in dog poo, seen a child fall in it or a wheelchair user roll through it knows it's revolting. Kicking it into the long grass or leaves is no more acceptable than bagging it and throwing the bag in the bushes. Does marketing bags as biodegradable make some people think it's OK to launch the bag into a bush? \ud83e\udd14<\/p>

I hate other people's dog poo so much it inspired our 'Don't be turd' t-shirt<\/a>! If you can't deal with picking up dog poo, don't get a dog. Don't walk someone else's dog. With endless cut-backs, there aren't many wardens doing the rounds these days. However fixed penalty notices can be issued by councils based upon statements from witnesses. I wouldn't be shy about making a statement if I saw an offence. Dog owners can also be fined in parts of the UK if they're caught walking their dog without having a dog poo bag with them. I've also read that in some countries dogs are DNA tested so offending poos can be matched back to the dog and owner! Wow. I doubt we'll ever get to that stage in the UK though.<\/p>

\"ManDon\u2019t be a turd mens t-shirt<\/a> - jerrysgeneral.com<\/a><\/p>

Anyways, rant over. Back to the plastic. With Jerry's 2 or 3 poos a day, that's around 1,000 plastic bags going in the bin every year if we don't change our dog poo bags. As we like to stock up on essentials it seems we have a bit of a stash of the plastic poo bags. The bags say 'don't recycle', though I presume that means after you've used it and\/or the packaging. But if they're such low-grade plastic that they degrade in 2-3 years, they're probably not recyclable in their unused form either. Now I have a dilemma what to do with them. Binning them unopened might be the least bad option. If you have any suggestions for better alternatives, get in touch via our usual social channels, please!<\/p>

Ultimately, Jerry's poos have to be dealt with responsibly. Of the options I've seen, thankfully there are viable alternatives to plastic. but of course, they're more expensive than plastic ones because plastic is cheap. Fingers crossed with the scale of sales if more people buy them, standard economics will kick in and the price will come down.<\/p>

Now I've covered the bulk areas that I think contribute to Jerry's carbon paw print. In my next instalment of the Dog Dad Blog, I'll try and combine all the elements together and see what the overall picture is saying. Until then, happy dog walking and be sure to clean up those poos! \ud83d\udca9<\/p>

Ste @ Jerry's General<\/p>

Get free UK delivery when you spend \u00a350 or more.<\/strong><\/p>

Join our pack<\/u><\/a> to get exclusive news and offers direct to your inbox every Friday at 5pm.<\/p>","urlTitle":"what-goes-in-must-come-out-unfortunately","url":"\/blog\/what-goes-in-must-come-out-unfortunately\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/what-goes-in-must-come-out-unfortunately\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/jerrysgeneral.com\/blog\/what-goes-in-must-come-out-unfortunately\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1657477387,"updatedAt":1697888239,"publishedAt":1697888239,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":214742,"name":"Jerry's General - Home of Dog Dad and Dog Mum"},"tags":[{"id":1774,"code":"carbonpawprint","name":"carbonpawprint","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/carbonpawprint\/"}],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/380eii2qv3qcjegkwmgt45bkhkpderh4qivajwzaonbae9tt.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/380eii2qv3qcjegkwmgt45bkhkpderh4qivajwzaonbae9tt.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/380eii2qv3qcjegkwmgt45bkhkpderh4qivajwzaonbae9tt.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"What goes in must come out... unfortunately!","metaDescription":"Of all the things I thought I would find myself blogging about, I can't say that dog poo was very high on the list.","keyPhraseCampaignId":2588,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":17503,"title":"What's the carbon footprint of that pawprint? \ud83d\udc3e","url":"\/blog\/whats-the-carbon-footprint-of-that-paw-print\/","urlTitle":"whats-the-carbon-footprint-of-that-paw-print","division":214742,"description":"Have you ever considered the carbon footprint of your dog? I hadn't - until last night. And what I learned shocked me but it's also put me on a mission to better understand it - and more importantly - reduce it.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/vfhyrsesvixwjd1paukazzvgeu1j4sjozhdctulkqns7yinv.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855&z=2.4&fx=0.54130490866975&fy=0.21354765330504","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/vfhyrsesvixwjd1paukazzvgeu1j4sjozhdctulkqns7yinv.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440&z=2.4&fx=0.54130490866975&fy=0.21354765330504"},"hidden":0},{"id":18052,"title":"Chewing the numbers for Jerry's dog food","url":"\/blog\/chewing-the-numbers-for-jerrys-dog-food\/","urlTitle":"chewing-the-numbers-for-jerrys-dog-food","division":214742,"description":"Everything I've read so far tells me the main contributing factor to a dog's carbon impact is their diet.\n\nOne source says that pet food uses up to one fifth of the world's meat and fish. Now that seems bonkers, doesn't it?!","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/hfshdb1b8wwet8gvrburengijgruirim2nj02glrxxejgqz1.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/hfshdb1b8wwet8gvrburengijgruirim2nj02glrxxejgqz1.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":18842,"title":"Do Jerry's snacks make me hungry for change?","url":"\/blog\/do-jerrys-snacks-make-me-hungry-for-change\/","urlTitle":"do-jerrys-snacks-make-me-hungry-for-change","division":214742,"description":"As part of my quest to try and calculate Jerry's carbon paw print, I've had a rummage through Jerry's snacks basket","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/qg5klgpqqwpvqsod0ktlxsc4beq0jzbdfwebyngzd614vz6x.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/qg5klgpqqwpvqsod0ktlxsc4beq0jzbdfwebyngzd614vz6x.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}