Pet N Pet biobased certification covers bags, pads and wipes
USDA testing verified 41% to 100% biobased content across Pet N Pet lines, a carbon measure that does not certify biodegradability.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
Pet N Pet biobased certification now applies to several of the Suwanee, Georgia, brand’s pet waste and care products, adding third-party USDA verification to an area where sustainability claims can be hard for shoppers to compare. The certifications cover selected poop bags, puppy training pads and pet wipes, with verified biobased content ranging from 41% to 100%, the company announced.
The USDA Certified Biobased Product label is tied to the federal BioPreferred Program and measures how much renewable, plant-derived carbon is in a product. It does not certify that a bag, pad or wipe is biodegradable, compostable or better for the environment overall.
The four certified items are a 41% biobased poop bag, a 48% biobased puppy training pad, a 92% biobased poop bag and a 100% biobased pet wipe. Pet N Pet said it also belongs to the Plant-Based Products Council.
What does USDA biobased certification mean for pet products?
Under the USDA BioPreferred Program, products can earn the Certified Biobased Product label after third-party lab testing confirms the percentage of biobased content using a standardized carbon-dating method. For consumers, the label gives a specific materials percentage rather than a broad plant-based claim.
That distinction matters in pet waste products because many items in the category still use conventional plastic. Pet N Pet’s 41% biobased poop bag, for example, contains 41% plant-derived material and 59% polyethylene, and the company does not market it as biodegradable or compostable. Like conventional bags, it is intended to be discarded with household trash.
Founder and President Steven Wong said the company plans to keep publishing percentages and naming certifiers for products that carry materials claims. His comments framed the certifications as a transparency measure for shoppers comparing pet care products that use sustainability language.
Pet waste bags make up a narrow but steady stream of consumer plastic use. A study published in Environmental Pollution estimated global dog waste bag use at more than 415 billion bags a year, which Earth911’s review of the research described as equal to as much as 1.23 million tons of plastic waste.
The EPA classifies pet waste itself as a nonpoint source of pollution, but the agency does not regulate the bags used to collect it. That leaves packaging claims largely dependent on standards such as USDA biobased testing, compostability certifications or other material-specific labels.
Pet N Pet lists USDA certification and plant-based material sourcing as the independently verified claims for its certified poop bag, training pad and wipe products. The certified biobased poop bags, pads and wipes are sold through the company’s website alongside other pet care items, including cat litter liners, paw cleaners and treat pouches.