Human poop is generally much more toxic than animals. Why? First, human diets consist of things like: refined sugars, alcohol, preservatives, meat, prescription medications and other things that lead to the growth of bad bacteria. Second, humans are exposed to a much wider array of bacteria and viruses than animals. Diseases like hepatitis, cholera, typhoid, E. coli, adenovirus, polio, candida and others all spread through poop. Lastly, the number of people who recreate (and poop) outdoors has grown rapidly over the last 30 years and that recreation is concentrated around select areas, often near water sources. Lots of poop in smaller areas means greater likelihood that pathogens will spread.

Use a WAG Bag to pack out your poop when recreating in any of the following types of environments: arid deserts, the alpine (i.e. elevations where trees do not grow), anywhere that doesn’t allow you to get 200’ from water sources (e.g. narrow canyons), and anywhere that local regulations mandate packing out. When a mandate is in place, it is generally because the area receives so much traffic that the soil can’t handle the volume of buried poop. Most other areas should be okay to bury poop 6-8” deep. But, it’s a good practice to research this in advance.

Leave No Trace Principles state that packing out toilet paper and wet wipes is ideal practice. Pack It In. Pack It Out. PACT Wipes were designed to make decomposition much more rapid than conventional products. How? PACT Wipes are made of plant-based cellulose and are free of additives, plastics and anti-microbial treatments found in these other products. Third party testing of the PACT Wipe showed 85% decomposition in 40 days and 98% in 75 days. While other studies have shown that toilet paper and wet wipes can take 1-2 years to decompose in the ground.

Our species of mycelium was carefully researched in partnership with renowned microbiologists and mycologists to possess several key characteristics. First it is non-invasive and nonaggressive, meaning it will not spread after its food source (poop) is depleted. Instead, its life cycle will end and it will become food for other microorganisms. It also grows natively throughout the United States, Hawaii and Alaska, and is tolerant of a wide range of ecosystems. Using fungal mycelium to decompose poop comes from a growing field called mycoremediation, using fungi to decontaminate soil. It has applications in wildfire restoration, oil spill clean-up, agricultural run-off and more.