Dogs poop outdoors.  When it happens in your neighborhood and your dog is on a leash you scoop it up with a bag and throw it in the trash.  But if you are hiking and your dog poops on the trail and isn’t on a leash there is a whole new set of problems even for a responsible dog owner.  First you might not notice it.  Second even if you put the poop into one of those little bags what do you do with the bag?  There isn’t a trash can for miles. If you try to kick it off the trail there is a a high probability you will end up with smelly shoes.  Leaving the poop on the trail create an eye and an olfactory hazard for others.  It also reinforces the opinion of people who want to restrict where dogs can be taken.

Here is a solution that will work.  Press leaves together to make a card about the size of the cover of a small paperback book.  Think about a thicker version of the seaweed paper they use for wrapping sushi.  The cards will be easy to use and will store in a small pack. After clearing the trail the poop and the scoop will both easily and invisibly biodegrade in the bushes off the trail.

Give the product a clever descriptive name like “Mountain Scoop” and sell it through pet stores.

Photo credit Does a Bear Shit in the Woods?