Tips for picking Eco Friendly Pet businesses

By Kelly Loeffler | April 18, 2023 | Minnesota

 

If you’re anything like me, you agree it’s important to take care of this big beautiful planet of ours and protect it anyway we can. I know becoming a mom made me extra conscious of the world I’ll be leaving behind for my children but also just for our near future. I’m always interested in eco friendly pet businesses.

“Going green” or being eco-friendly doesn’t mean you need to be an activist or ban every single-use item from  your house. It just means making conscious choices for you, your family and your pets that tend to help, rather than harm, the environment. 

For my business it means leaving no trace at photo sessions. Also using digital marketing instead of print outs to save on things that often just get tossed in the trash

You probably buy a lot of stuff for your pet: Food, attire, treats, bowls, leashes etc. Do you know if the companies you are buying from include being environmentally conscious in their mission? 

I’m trying to keep my pet product purchases more sustainable and eco-friendly. If you’re curious on where or how to find green pet products, here are my tips to get started. 

1. Look for transparency

Transparency is a pawsitive, and eco-friendly brands are proud to talk about their sourcing.  Brands that are open about their sourcing, environmental pawprint and business practices are more trustworthy to me. If you cant find any info on their practices theres more of a chance they have something to hide (not always but it raises some red flags). Check out the websites of brands you buy to see if they mention the environment in their mission or when they discuss ingredients of packaging.

2. Read the labels and/or product descriptions in full 

Check the ingredient lists and packaging in full. Some companies have a QR code on them to help you see their sourcing in more detail. For example my dogs favorite treats I was giving, I hadn’t been paying attention to the label. One day when I decided to look I realized it had 3 times the amount of ingredients as most of their other treats.

3. Choose reduced or recycled packaging

Excessive packaging is a can be a red flag, How eco friendly can one be if they put so much packaging onto a product that will just be thrown away (or hopefully recycled) Definitely look for your recycle seal on packaging before you toss!

4. Beware of deep discounts

Eco-friendly can be affordable, but they don’t tend to go on sale often because ethical sourcing doesn’t always lend itself to deep discounts. I’m all for sales but often try to put my money where my mouth is. If you are getting a lot of coupons or discounts for a product, research it more to see if it truly is eco-friendly or seems to be just “greenwashing.” 

5. Avoid one-time use products where you can

One-time use or disposable products can be more wasteful than we’d like. It’s hard to get past one use poop bags for me, but getting bio degradable bags or using old groceries bags is helpful.

If you do have to get a one-time use product, try for a recycled or biodegradable option! 

Eco Friendly Pet Businesses

Here are just a few eco friendly pet businesses that come to mind

  • West Paw
  • Planet Dog
  • The good Dog Company
  • Pooch Paper
  • United by Blue
  • Hurtta
  • Shameless pets upcycled dog treats

Do you have a favorite eco friendly pet business you love to use. Send me a message on instagram or email because I always love learning more about eco conscious brands!

Protecting the planet protects our future. If everyone does their part we can make a big difference by voting with the dollars we spend on our pets.