Love Your Pet? Here’s How to Protect the Planet Too

Being an environmentally responsible pet owner means more than feeding and loving your pet; it’s also caring for the environment they inhabit. As pet owners, we all want what’s best for our pets, including minimizing the impact of our decisions on the planet. Fortunately, there are simple, eco-conscious ways to care for your pet while caring for the planet. Here are some ways you can do both!

Probably the biggest environmental concern for pet owners is disposing of their pet waste. The most common waste removal for pet owners is also the most environmentally detrimental: plastic poop bags. Plastic poop bags are not biodegradable, and break down over hundreds of years.
Compostable Poop Bags: Compostable poop bags are made from plant-based sources, such as cornstarch. These bags will break down a lot faster than plastic bags and are compostable.
Biodegradable Bags: These bags do break down over time, unlike plastic bags, hence, they have less environmental detriment.
Pet Waste Composting System: You can get a pet waste composting system and compost waste into soil in your backyard, where you can safely compost your pet waste. This can be a game changer for conscientious pet owners.
Fact: It's estimated that Americans throw away over 1 billion plastic bags each year, just for waste management of pet waste. Compostable or biodegradable options can help reduce your carbon footprint.

Pet food is another major factor to take into account with sustainability. Pet food that is high in meat is usually sourced from factory farms, which are known to negatively impact the environment in terms of climate change, deforestation, and waste.
Plant-based pet foods: Wild Earth and V-dog offer plant-based snacks and basic pet foods, which help reduce the incidence of animal products altogether.
Responsible meat sourcing: Look for pet food that is made with meat sourced from responsible farming practices, for example, by looking for grass-fed/free-range animals for meat sources.
Insect food: Insects are a very low-impact source of protein and use significantly fewer resources than other livestock. Yora offers insect protein for your pets as a sustainable food source.
Fact: According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), animal agriculture contributes 14.5% of global greenhouse gases. Choosing plant-based or responsibly sourced pet food can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Generally, pet toys, grooming products, and pet gear are primarily constructed from polymers, rubber, and synthetic cloth, all of which are difficult to recycle. However, you can take action to decrease this waste and make eco-friendly decisions when it comes to pet gear.

Eco-friendly pet gear includes:

Toys made from recycled materials: When shopping for your pet, look for toys made from recycled plastic, rubber, or natural materials like hemp or cotton. Brands like West Paw and Planet Dog produce durable, eco-friendly toys.

Repurposing your old items: Before you toss any old towels or t-shirts, consider repurposing them into curtains or a blanket, or a bed for your pet, or pet toys or socks. Not only are you reducing waste, but your pet will love their newly added cozy item in their environment.

Dwelling lightly on the planet by grooming with eco-friendly tools: When choosing grooming tools, consider sustainable grooming tools references, with bamboo brushes or heirloom biodegradable combs.

Fact: The pet industry creates over 63 million tons of waste per year, much will never biodegrade. By choosing sustainable pet products, you can help eliminate some of that waste.

Green Pet Bedding and Clothing

As you’ve seen with pet toys and pet food, pet bedding and pet clothing have their environmental footprint, too. Most bedding options are made from synthetics and filled with non-biodegradable material.

Eco-friendly options:

Organic cotton bedding: Pet beds and blankets made from organic cotton or organic bamboo are some of your best options. These two options are renewable, biodegradable, and do not contain harmful chemicals.

Recycled fabric clothing: Paw5 is one of several brands that have made dog clothing from available recycled fabric and is helping cut down on the waste, while keeping your pet looking good and stylish.

Natural filling materials: You should consider looking for filling options that use natural materials such as shredded memory foam or organic wool. This is going to be far more environmentally friendly than synthetic fillings.

If you have a pet waste composting system in your backyard or outdoor area, then composting pet waste into organic material further reduces the environmental impact of waste disposal. Furthermore, your pets don’t have to be trashing local landfills while taking decades to decompose! You can utilize the organic material to fertilize your percussion garden.

Fact: Pet waste is a major source of pollution in urban locations. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that pet waste makes up approximately 30% of the bacteria found in our waterways and can negatively impact the environment and wildlife.


Ultimately, we can be eco-friendly about our pets' overall care to lessen our overall environmental impact. Here are some ideas.
Use eco-friendly cleaning supplies to clean up after your pet.
Choose water/eco-friendly dog wash stations and eco-friendly shampoos.
Adopt pets from shelters instead of buying pets from breeders. This will help prevent new resources from being used and control the pet population.
Being kind to your pet and being kind to the planet do not have to be mutually exclusive. By implementing a few simple changes, such as changing to an eco-friendly waste pick-up service, switching to sustainable pet food, and buying green pet products, your pet will be a happy little critter, and the ecosystem will benefit as well. Remember, even small changes can add up and make a meaningful difference, and your pet will thank you!

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Frequently Asked Question(FAQs)

1. How do you manage pet waste?Pet waste can be managed by using biodegradable bags, composting, or utilizing a pet waste disposal system to ensure proper and eco-friendly disposal.
2. What is the most eco-friendly way to get rid of dog poop?The most eco-friendly way to dispose of dog poop is by using compostable bags or a pet waste composting system designed for safe, organic waste breakdown.
3. How do you dispose of eco-dog waste?Eco-dog waste can be disposed of by composting it in a pet waste composting system or using biodegradable waste bags that decompose naturally.