Can compostable dog poo bags go in the green bin?

Not automatically. In Australia, a compostable dog poo bag should only go in your green bin if your local council explicitly accepts both dog poo and the type of bag you are using. A compostable label is not permission to put a filled bag into any green bin.

The practical rule: check your council’s current waste guide first. If acceptance is unclear, keep the filled bag out of the green bin, use the general-waste bin in line with local instructions, and ask your council before changing your routine.

Compostable and biodegradable: what’s the difference?

Biodegradable means a material can be broken down by microorganisms under suitable environmental conditions. The word alone does not tell you where that will happen or how long it will take. It is not the same as verified suitability for a home compost heap or a council organics service.

Compostable is more specific. Products verified against a recognised compostability standard must meet requirements for breakdown in the relevant composting conditions, as well as compost quality and ecotoxicity criteria. The conditions matter: home composting and commercial composting are not interchangeable.

Neither word means you can leave a used bag on the ground. Always pick up after your dog and dispose of the bag through an accepted waste pathway.

AS 4736 versus AS 5810

AS 4736 relates to plastics suitable for commercial composting. It does not, by itself, establish that a product will compost in a backyard system or be accepted by your local council.

AS 5810 relates to plastics suitable for home composting. Home-composting testing accommodates lower temperatures and longer timeframes than industrial composting. It is not a guarantee that every home setup will perform identically.

Most importantly, these standards address the compostability of the product. They do not certify dog poo as safe for every composting process or override a waste facility’s acceptance rules.

Why your council’s rules come first

A green lid does not mean the same thing everywhere. Your service may collect garden organics or food and garden organics (FOGO), and its accepted-items list is what matters. Permission to use compostable food-caddy liners does not necessarily extend to dog poo bags.

For example, the NSW EPA’s FOGO guidance excludes pet poo and poo bags and directs them to the red general-waste bin. It explains that pathogens, including intestinal worm eggs, are not always killed at composting facilities. Melton City Council also directs bagged animal waste to landfill waste, not its green-lid food and garden bin.

Acceptance varies by region and processing service, so do not assume advice from another suburb applies to your address. Check the latest local guidance rather than relying on bin colour, a bag label or an old social-media post.

A simple disposal routine

1. Pick up and securely close the bag. Do not leave it beside a path or bin.
2. Search your council’s website for “dog poo”, “pet waste” and “compostable bags”. Check the rules for your specific collection service.
3. Check both parts of the question. Does the council accept dog waste, and does it accept the bag’s certification or bag type?
4. Follow the local instructions. Only use the green bin when both are explicitly accepted. Otherwise use the instructed general-waste route. If the guidance is unclear, ask the council.

What about LE LUCA Poop Bags?

Our Poop Bags product listing identifies the bags as certified to AS 4736 and AS 5810. Visit the product page for the listed certification details and care FAQs. Those are claims about the bag’s compostability, not a promise of universal green-bin acceptance or approval of the dog waste inside it.

Home-compostable also does not mean you should add a filled bag to your ordinary food-garden compost. The product’s home-composting FAQ recommends a separate, dedicated pet-waste system and warns against using pet-waste compost on edible fruit or vegetable gardens. Follow specialist system instructions and local advice; if you do not have a suitable setup, use your council’s recommended disposal route.

Bottom line: choose your bag with care, then choose its disposal route locally. Certification and council acceptance answer different questions, and responsible disposal needs both.

Sources

• Australasian Bioplastics Association: bioplastics, biodegradability and compostability explained.
• Australasian Bioplastics Association: AS 4736 and AS 5810 certification.
• NSW EPA: what can and can’t go in your FOGO bin.
• Melton City Council: animal droppings and animal waste.
• LE LUCA Poop Bags: listed certification details and product FAQs.

Waste-service rules can change. Always confirm the current requirements with your local council.