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Dog poop bags: A non-negligible source of plastic pollution.
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This paper estimates that over 415 billion dog waste bags are used and disposed of globally each year, representing 0.76-1.23 million tons of plastic annually. Despite being a small fraction of total plastic waste, the extremely short use cycle of these bags makes them a notable and often overlooked source of plastic pollution.
Plastic pollution derived from the disposal of plastic bags in the environment is clearly evidenced. However, little attention has been directed towards plastic waste derived from plastic dog poop bags (DPBs), which are widely used and can never be recycled. Herein, we raise concerns about the contribution of DPBs to plastic pollution in the environment. Combining the weight of each DPB, the number of bags daily used for a dog, and the number of pet dogs around the world, we estimated the number of annual consumed and disposed DPBs at more than 415 billion, or equivalently 0.76-1.23 million tons of plastics based on various weights of different DPBs. Although plastic waste produced by DPBs only accounts for a small fraction (0.6%) of the total plastic waste generation, the extremely short life cycle of DPBs has made them a non-negligible source of plastic pollution in the environment.
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Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.