As much as I know that blaming the climate crisis on individual consumer choices is a smokescreen for large corporations and fossil fuel companies, it still bothers me to buy single-use plastic bags. So, when my household recently ran out of the disposable litter bags we’d been using, I decided to be responsible and find the most environmentally friendly option possible. I thought, how hard could it be?
Oh boy.
My simple quest for the greenest pet waste solution has turned into my own personal drama. I feel like an investigator uncovering a massive conspiracy, but instead of taking on a chemical giant, I’m questioning companies with names like “Eco Poop Bags” and “Green Pet Waste Solutions” about the chemical composition of their “eco-friendly” bags. I’ve learned too much about advanced recycling, and worst of all, I still haven’t bought replacements because the entire “green,” “biodegradable,” “plant-based,” and “compostable” pet waste bag industry seems to be built on misleading information, half-truths, and outright lies.
This might seem like an excessive amount of time to spend obsessing over something seemingly small, but the greenwashing and lack of transparency surrounding these bags is part of a much larger issue. Plastics are becoming the fossil fuel industry’s fallback plan. The transition to renewable energy, even if it’s slow and uneven, is happening. Seeing the shift, companies like major oil and gas corporations are heavily investing in petrochemicals, the building blocks of plastic. Petrochemicals are projected to account for half of the growth in oil demand between now and 2050, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). As a CEO of a major oil company reassured his colleagues, demand for oil from petrochemicals is expected to remain strong “no matter which energy transition scenario plays out.”
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
This story really begins with some much cuter culprits: my cats.
The Problem with “Compostable” Cat Litter Bags
Meet the adorable instigators of this investigation, Marinka and Virginia:
These two cute cats are unwittingly contributing to the millions of tons of pet waste produced in America every year. It’s estimated that just dog waste disposal alone adds hundreds of millions of single-use bags to landfills annually in the US.
The problems with single-use plastic bags are well-known. They take a long time to break down, and when they do, they don’t fully decompose. Instead, they turn into microplastics that pollute our soil, water, food chain, and even our bodies. Compostable bags seem like a great solution to this problem, right?
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. The “compostable” claims made by eco-conscious pet brands are often very misleading. While they suggest their bags will break down like yard waste, these bags only decompose within a year under very specific conditions found in commercial composting facilities. However, very few of these facilities actually accept pet waste. Because of this, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned that “compostable claims for these products are generally untrue.”
Companies take advantage of consumers’ lack of understanding about these terms and processes. They often boast that their compostable bags meet the “ASTM D6400 standard,” which only means they meet the industrial composting standard. This is often irrelevant for most consumers. Additionally, using the ASTM D6400 standard can be a way for brands to hide that their bags are made with new fossil fuels – more on that later.
Even if industrial composting were widely accessible for pet waste bags, there’s another issue: is composting pet waste even desirable? Cat and dog poop contains parasites and bacteria that can persist in the soil for years and even be harmful to humans if used to fertilize edible plants. Studies have shown that animal waste is a significant source of bacteria in waterways.
Dog owners might have a slightly better option, as dog waste can be home-composted under specific conditions. However, a major problem with compostable bags is that they can give people the false impression that it’s okay to litter trails and parks with them, assuming they’ll simply disappear. But as we’ve established, they won’t.
Cat waste, specifically, should never be composted in a garden setting. Cats carry the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which can be transmitted to humans through compost and is also harmful to wildlife, including sea otters. House cats are now considered a significant source of this parasite through their waste.
So, compostable Cat Litter Bags are not a good solution. As one city municipality put it, pet poop should be treated as a pollutant, not a fertilizer. This means it needs to be securely contained in a landfill.
The Non-Starter: “Flushable” Cat Litter Bags
Let’s quickly address flushable cat litter bags. For the same reasons composting pet waste is problematic (parasites and bacteria), flushing pet waste bags and litter is also not a safe or responsible choice.
Many wastewater treatment plants don’t eliminate Toxoplasma, so flushing cat poop simply sends it directly into local waterways. Authorities confirm that only human waste and toilet paper should be flushed.
The Deceptive “Biodegradable” and “Plant-Based” Cat Litter Bags
Biodegradable pet waste bags are where things get really complicated.
At first glance, these bags seem like the ideal solution. Many are recommended by sustainability websites. Product websites often feature reassuring information about the dangers of plastic waste, highlight environmental certifications, and mention plant-based ingredients like cornstarch. Even the bags themselves are often green!
However, almost all of these bags, despite their eco-friendly claims, are made using new fossil fuels.
Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate, or “PBAT,” is a biodegradable plastic made from petrochemicals. This means fossil fuels must be extracted to create any bag containing PBAT, and PBAT is found in almost all of them.
Companies are very sneaky about this. Some brands openly mention PBAT as a “traditional plastic alternative,” likely assuming consumers won’t know what it is or bother to research it. But investigations have revealed that PBAT often makes up a large percentage (60% or more) of these supposedly “plant-based” pet waste bags. Experts in sustainable pet products have described the greenwashing and outright deception in this industry, noting that even major brands claiming “100% plant-based” also list PBAT in their ingredients.
PBAT is usually combined with cornstarch or sugarcane. So, if a “plant-based” bag highlights these ingredients, it’s a strong indication that a fossil fuel-derived plastic like PBAT is also involved. Furthermore, companies often put certifications like ASTM D6400 or BPI on their packaging, even though these standards don’t prevent the certification of biodegradable products containing PBAT.
Pet waste bag companies actively avoid transparency about PBAT. One popular “sustainable” brand, when questioned, described their bags as containing a “proprietary bio-based material” that was mostly PBAT, calling it a “biodegradable copolymer” and an “excellent alternative to polyethylene.” When pressed to confirm if this “biodegradable copolymer” was PBAT, they stopped responding. Another “green” bag company didn’t respond at all to inquiries about PBAT content.
Despite this lack of transparency, companies use PBAT not to intentionally harm the environment, but because it’s currently necessary for pet waste bags. PBAT provides strength and structure. 100% plant-based bags would likely be too weak and easily tear, which is definitely not desirable for handling pet waste.
The real issue is the lack of honesty. Many companies are selling fossil fuel-based products to consumers who believe they are buying bags made from plants.
Ultimately, there are two main ways to evaluate the impact of pet waste bags: the materials they are made from and what happens to them after use. If your primary concern is disposal, biodegradable and “plant-based” bags are likely still the best imperfect option currently available. You can dispose of them in the trash (where pet waste belongs), and they will eventually biodegrade in a landfill. However, it’s important to remember that technically everything is biodegradable eventually, and the term is meaningless without specifying the timeframe and conditions.
From a material perspective, biodegradable and “plant-based” bags are less impressive. They do use less new fossil fuel than bags made entirely of traditional single-use plastic. However, some research suggests there may be “no real difference in lifetime emissions” between traditional plastic and bioplastics. Other estimates indicate that greenhouse gas emissions are often higher for bio-based plastics than recycled or new plastics. This is because growing corn for bioplastics requires significant energy, land, and water, and converting cornstarch into polymers is also energy-intensive.
A crucial exception to be aware of: avoid “oxo-biodegradable” products. These are banned in the EU because they break down into harmful microplastics.
The Complicated Case of “Recycled Plastic” Cat Litter Bags
“Recycled plastic” pet waste bags are available, although less common. They aim to reduce the use of new fossil fuels by utilizing plastic that has already been produced. Some companies even sell bags made from recycled ocean plastic, combined with a percentage of new fossil fuels for strength.
However, even 100% recycled materials come with their own set of problems.
“Chemical” or “advanced” plastic recycling is currently favored by the oil and gas industry, despite evidence that plastic recycling is not as effective as claimed. Converting old plastics into new plastics is energy-intensive, requiring fossil fuels to power the process. The recycling process can also release carcinogenic chemicals into the air, disproportionately affecting low-income communities.
This issue extends beyond pet waste bags. Many companies promote products made from recycled plastics, from clothing to shampoo bottles. However, by emphasizing “recycling” (often downcycling), companies can distract from their role in the plastic pollution crisis while continuing to profit. Recycled plastic can be another form of greenwashing when a reduction in single-use plastics is truly needed.
The Case for Not Buying Any Special Bags At All
My journey into the world of pet waste bags started because I wanted to reduce single-use plastics.
When single-use plastic grocery bags were banned in my city, like many pet owners, we realized we had been using them for cat litter disposal. Our increased awareness of single-use plastics in some areas of our lives led us to… buy more single-use plastics specifically for our pets.
Then, we discovered a revolutionary new “poop bag.” It didn’t require any new fossil fuel extraction, and while it doesn’t break down in a landfill, it also won’t harm any sea otters.
This magical solution? Trash bags we already have.
Empty bread bags, produce bags, and even empty dry cat food bags can be reused as cat litter disposal bags. Plastic packaging gets a second life as a final resting place for kitty waste.
This isn’t a perfect solution. Produce bags, for example, aren’t designed to be durable or contain liquids and odors effectively. But if I’ve learned anything from this deep dive into pet waste, it’s that there is no perfect solution. What addresses one environmental concern might not address another. Ultimately, you have to make a choice, likely a compromise, and then focus on bigger environmental impact areas like transportation, energy sources, and diet.
For me, reusing trash bags works because it gives single-use plastics destined for landfills a second use. And at the very least, it allows me to stop obsessing about cat poop bags.
I think I’ve thought about it enough for a lifetime.
