Give A Sh!T 2022: The 100% Compostable & Biodegradable Dog Poop Bag
Curtis Hacon, co-founder of Give A Sh!t, explains how this environmentally friendly, family-run business aims to do its bit for the planet by creating 100% compostable and biodegradable doggie poop bags.
Please tell us a little about Give A Sh!t and your 100% home-compostable poop bags.
We launched Give A Sh!t to challenge and level up the pet industry. Our biggest focus is on taking new product design risks that are better for the environment, in the hopes that they inspire and challenge our competitors to do better too.
We’re firm believers that the planet shouldn’t suffer simply to pad out profit margins and make business more convenient. In this vein, you’ll find that all of our products are fully compostable, recyclable, and contain no plastic in the packaging or products themselves.
How difficult has it been to differentiate yourself from your competitors?
It certainly hasn’t been easy. We’re a very small four-person company, so trying to take on some of the larger companies, with their huge advertising budgets, has been challenging.
However, from day one we’ve been unapologetically us – an edgy brand with a massive heart – and I think that resonates with our customers/supporters. We really wouldn’t be where we are today without such incredible support.
What challenges did you face in creating a bag that’s 100% compostable and biodegradable?
To be perfectly honest it wasn’t that hard. The difficulty was being able to compete on price, while not compromising on our values. Many of our large competitors in the market brand themselves as environmentally friendly, but their products either don’t break down at all or they use EPI additives that break the bag down into microplastics.
Our 100% home-compostable bags cost a lot more to produce. So our biggest challenge was accepting that we can’t compete on price, but that we can compete on sustainability and charitability – and then communicating that to our customers.
Where can customers get hold of your products?
Our products can be purchased either directly from our website or on Amazon.
Please tell us about the Soi Dog Foundation and how you’ve contributed so far.
The Soi Dog Foundation is an incredible animal rescue based in Thailand. They are honestly amazing. Last year alone they rescued 16,121 dogs from the dog meat trade, sterilized 729,168 animals, treated 15,186 injured animals, and placed 714 dogs and cats for adoption. All during a pandemic. They are such an inspiring organization.
Our contribution really does pale in comparison to the work they do. We give 10% of all our profits to the Soi Dog Foundation. So, as we grow, so do our contributions. Our overall goal is to get to $100,000 In donations. This ambition really drives our small team.
Will Give A Sh!t be expanding into different dog/pet areas in the future?
Absolutely! We currently have many products being tested and designed in other areas of the pet industry and we’re looking to make a major push in these new sections of the market later this year. I can’t give too much away at this stage but keep an eye out. We’ve only just warmed up.
