Woman starts campaign for dog owners to stop using poo bags
Dog owners have long been told that they must bag up their dog's poo whilst on a walk - or face a hefty fine.
But one woman is heading up a campaign to try and persuade dog walkers to ditch poo bags in a bid to help the environment.
Carina Evans is a dog owner herself and with her 'Flick A Poo' campaign, wants urban dog walkers to be more conscious of the effect plastic bags have on the countryside.
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Evans, who grew up on a farm in Dorset, wants to 'shame' those who leave plastic bags in the countryside whilst out walking.
Evans said: "I’m launching the campaign to shame people that think the habit of leaving poo in a plastic bag dotted around the countryside on branches, gates and fences that belong to other people is okay. Simply put, it’s not okay."
Rather than bagging up their dog's poo, Evans is urging owners to hide their pet's poo in the shrubbery.
Evans said: "It's not necessarily [about eradicating poo bags], I don't see the need for them but I don't live in a town, I live in the countryside.
"I get plastic bags and I get the need for them in a town or urban area.
"What I'm trying to say is Flick A Poo because why in the countryside are we not just flicking it into hedgerows and under hedges, away from the footpath?
"What I see all the time, is plastic bags hung on branches and leaves and gate posts.
"Why go to the trouble of bending down and picking up s**t and then putting it in a plastic bag to then leave it for us who live in the countryside."
Evans isn't putting the blame for the waste on all dog walkers who use bags - just those who don't put them in the bins.
She said: "As somebody that’s grown up in the countryside on a farm in Dorset I very much take responsibility to protect our countryside.
"I have a keen interest on ensuring it’s kept beautiful, clean and pollution free for everybody, including myself and my family."
Poo bag brands that are biodegradable often take between three to six months to decay, whereas bags left hanging on fence posts or tree branches will never do so.
Even bags left on the ground will take up to half a year to biodegrade, creating an eyesore for other visitors to the countryside.
Carina is hoping to receive support from organisations like the Woodland Trust, Countryside Alliance, or National Trust so that they may "jump on board and join the fight against needless waste and plastic bags marring our beautiful countryside."
Ben Thompson