By Alesha Capone
A Geelong-based family business which makes compostable bags for dog manure is intent upon changing the world, one poop at a time.
Oh Crap sells doggy poop bags made from cornstarch which break down within three months after being disposed of – a much shorter timeframe than regular plastic bags, which can take decades to disintegrate.
Since being established in 2014, Oh Crap has saved more than 10 million plastic dog poo bags from being sent to landfill.
The business has also partnered with RSPCA which will introduce non-plastic compostable dog poop bags in all of its shelters across the nation.
Oh Crap founder and “chief crapologist” Bruce Hultgren said he came up with the idea for the company after he adopted his rescue dog, Brady.
“I got sick of picking up poo using little plastic bags and seeing plastic bags of poo dropped on the ground,” Mr Hultgren said.
“I thought, ‘There has got to be a better way than this’ – but there wasn’t, so I fixed it.
“It was a pipe dream, one of those things where I knew we were on to something, but to save 10 million bags from landfill is mind-blowing.”
Mr Hultgren might be a businessman, but he is not afraid to have fun – Oh Crap’s logo is designed in the shape that a dog’s paws form “when they are taking a dump”.
On a more serious note, Mr Hultgren said that Oh Crap takes pride in helping the environment.
“Apart from being called the ‘chief crapologist’, which is always fun, the biggest buzz I get is educating people about the difference between compostable and biodegradable plastic bags,” he said.
Details: www.ohcrap.com.au, www.facebook.com/OhCrapDogPoopBags, instagram.com/OhCrapDogPoopBags
