All of our actions leave an impact. Our choices can either help sustain or destroy the planet. Nowadays, humans have a gazillion options to live sustainably from our diets, clothing, and even how we travel. But don’t forget about our pets! While we love spoiling our furry (or scaly) pals, they too can leave carbon pawprints.
According to a study, traditional pet food create an estimated 64 million tonnes of CO2, equivalent to emissions of 13.6 million cars each year. In addition, feeding dogs and cats make up somewhere between 25 per cent to 30 per cent of the entire environmental impact of domestic meat consumption.
Thankfully, the pet industry is also beginning to look for new ways to help the environment by considering eco-friendly, ethical materials, and even renewable energy in manufacturing.
To help you shop and sustainably spoil your pets, we curated a list of eco-friendly pet brands in the US in today’s feature.
Eco-friendly pet brands in the USA
Beyond Green
Product range: Dog waste bags
Ethics: Compostable, Biodegradable
Plastic bags are non-biodegradable and definitely a no-no, while paper bags can leak or spill. Beyond Green’s dog waste bags are fully compostable poop bags that consumers can purchase on a one-off or subscription basis for extra sustainability. It leaves a lighter load on the supply chain.
According to the company, the poop bags are made from certified FSC recycled paper, specially made with reliable resilience in mind and have an exceptional strength and tear resistance standard. They are also natural, chemical-free, and odour proof.
A donation to Beyond Green’s tree planting initiative is made with each purchase.
Whom
Product range: Beds and feeding bowls
Ethics: FSC-certified wood, recyclable materials, ethical trade, transparent
Whom is a furniture store based in North America that manufactures pet beds and feeding bowls. Its products are made from either recyclable material or FSC certified wood.
According to the company, its factory keeps a zero-waste policy and reuse or recycle everything. In addition, 95 per cent of materials used are sourced in the country and made in the brand’s factory to reduce carbon footprint.
Awoo
Product range: Pet leashes
Ethics: Recyclable, fair employment practices, eco-friendly materials
Mallory Macdonald and Francine Evans, founders of Awoo, shared that they were experienced with a lack of everyday pet items that focused on quality and sustainability. Thus the launch of their signature infinity leash, which is made of recycled/recyclable materials and can be used in 10 different ways.
“We don’t ever launch an item just to have more products out there. We launch a product because we believe it fills a need,” MacDonald tells Daily Paws.
The company also offers a “Repawpose” program where customers can receive a discount on their next purchase if they ship out their old leash for recycling instead of throwing it away.
Jiminy’s
Product range: Dog food, pet treats
Ethics: Sustainable, eco–friendly
Jiminy’s seeks to reduce the environmental impact of pet food by using insects instead of traditional meat as an alternative.
According to the company, insects like crickets require less land, water and feed to produce an equivalent amount of protein on traditional meat like poultry.
The alternative pet food brand also shared that the company has conducted research that confirms insect protein is just as digestible as meat protein for dogs and contains the same vitamins and minerals, fibre, and more. In addition, it conducts palatability testing to ensure that pets would love the taste of the food and treats.
Bark potty
Product range: Potty solutions
Ethics: Sustainable, compostable, ethical
Pee pads are commonly used to potty train dogs. Unfortunately, traditional pee pads are made of plastic and silicone. As the name reveals, Bark Potty dog pee pads are made with FSC-certified tree bark. The lined tray also prevents leaks or pee-pad overflow for easy cleanup.
Bark Potty is also a member of 1% for the Planet, a group of companies that donates a portion of their sales to non-profit environmental organisations.
Pooch Paper
Product range: Dog waste paper
Ethics: Biodegradable, eco-friendly, renewable energy
Another planet-friendly way to pick up your pet’s poop is Pooch Paper. The company claims it is sturdy enough to carry the heaviest and wettest, made of recycled non-chlorine bleach paper fibre, 100-per-cent biodegradable, and can be composted in a municipal landfill or even in one’s garden.
The company also use renewable energy sources such as solar power for manufacturing.
Catit Nuna Kibble
Product range: Cat food
Ethics: Sustainable, alt-protein
An alternative from chicken or fish-based cat kibble, Catit’s insect-based kibble is packed with protein made from insect larvae grown on human-grade food waste and sustainably sourced herring.
The company’s product is developed with years of research and filled with nutrition a cat needs without the toxic waste and by-products associated with traditional protein sources.
Littermaid
Product range: Cat litter
Ethics: Sustainable, eco-friendly
Traditional cat litter is usually made of bentonite, a mineral sourced from volcanic ash, which is toxic and non-biodegradable. Littermaid’s cat litter is made from inedible walnuts shells that offer low-dust clumping and have natural enzymes to help neutralise odours.
Fur-zoff
Product range: Pet hair remover
Ethics: Eco-friendly
Having furry pets at home also means having hair and fur sticking and flying about everywhere. Traditional pet-hair removal rollers are made from latex or waxed paper that can only add to more waste in landfills.
Fur-zoff is an eco-friendly pet brand that offers a more sustainable solution with its tool made of 90-per-cent foamed recycled glass, which can be used to sweet over anything. The company also offers a guarantee that its product will never need replacing.
Because Animals
Product range: Pet treats
Ethics: Sustainable, plant-based, lab-made
Because Animals is an eco-friendly pet brand that aims to create pet foods that are safer, healthier, and more sustainable than conventional factory-farmed pet foods.
The company produces plant-based pet treats for dogs and cats. In recent developments, it has also created “hunt-free” mouse cookies made from “humanly harvested” cells.
Dr Shannon Falconer and Joshua Errett, founders of Because Animals, shared that using mouse cells avoids the most prevalent food allergens in pets – beef and poultry. There are no by-products found in slaughterhouses or rendered ingredients, and the cultured meat is free from antibiotics and pathogens.
“The public launch of Harmless Hunt is a milestone for us, for the cultured and alt-protein industry, for pet food, and for animals raised and slaughtered to feed cats and dogs,” said Falconer. “We are finally able to provide pets with a healthier, safer, greener choice at a price that will be on par with other premium retail products.”
Our pets carbon pawprints matter too
The choices we make for our pets matter too, and with the right shopping mindset, and a desire to reduce waste, we can help lessen our impact on the environment because our pets deserve a planet that is safe to live on today and in the future!
