Since the start of the pandemic, lonely Brits in lockdown have welcomed furry friends into their families. The sudden rise in people becoming pet parents can be contributed to the new working from home routine for most of the country. However, the increasing number of woofers finding homes during recent months has led to a surge in something less cute: dog poo.
According to research commissioned by Lily’s Kitchen, a whopping 64% of 2,000 respondents declared that dog waste has become an increasing issue in their area.
Furthermore, a third (31%) of dog owners that participated in the survey confessed to NOT cleaning up after their pups – declaring that they think poo bags “are wasteful” because they cannot be recycled.
The award-winning producer of proper food for pets is taking a stand, launching a new clean-up campaign on 6 May 2021. ‘Poop Troop’ is a community initiative that promotes responsible pet parenting by facilitating a way for dog owners to pick up their pooch’s poo in the most sustainable way possible.
Today, the popular pet brand has placed pop-up poo bag dispensers in dog walking hot-spots to prevent the problem getting worse.
Located in some of the UK’s worst offending areas, the dispensers contain the brand’s new Planet Friendly Poo Bags to help tackle the crisis and give pet parents a sustainable solution to disposing their woofer’s waste.
Data from the survey suggests that London is the worst region for leaving stool on the street, with almost three quarters of residents (73%) stating it was a problem.
Wales (70%) and Scotland (68%) also face poo problems, followed closely by those in Yorkshire (65%) and the South East (55%).
But it isn’t just the rise in poop left on pavements which is a cause for concern: even more worryingly, it is the number of plastic bags used to dispose of dogs’ waste.
With 8.5 million dogs now in the UK, an estimated 5.5 BILLION poo bags are used each year, with many pet parents not opting for products that tread carefully on the planet.
The good news is that two thirds (66%) of the nation would prefer to use biodegradable poo bags for their pups if cost, availability, and other factors were not an issue.
As a B Corp that puts pets, people, and the planet at the heart of everything it does, Lily’s Kitchen has launched its environmentally-friendly poo bags so that pet parents can clean up after their puppers, guilt-free.
Made using renewable plant-based resources, the bags are fully compostable and biodegradable so that the poo bags will break down completely.
Samantha Crossley, Marketing Director at Lily’s Kitchen said; “Being a force for good is important to us at Lily’s Kitchen. We wanted to make sure that our poo bags not only serve a very important purpose for pet parents, but also tread lightly on the planet.
“By offering our Planet Friendly Poo Bags to communities through our ‘Poop Troop’ dispensers, we’re hoping to tackle the huge problem of poo being left on Britain’s pavements – waiting for people to step in.
“We hope to show, not just tell, dog owners that there is a sustainable way to dispose of your pup’s poop.”
Lily’s Kitchen’s compostable Planet Friendly Poo Bags are available nationwide from lilyskitchen.co.uk, with an RRP of £6 for 60 poo bags. Dispose of used poo bags into dog waste bins, where the poo bags will break down.
