Everyone has a responsibility to live a more sustainable life, but what can we do as pet owners?
There certainly isn’t a shortage of alarming facts about the deterioration of our planet. Every choice we make as consumers has an impact on the environment, whether we realise it or not – this choice extends to what we buy for our pets.
Where a parent can choose to reduce the amount of plastics in their children’s lives, pet owners should have the same opportunities.
As pet owners ourselves, we’ve shared some of the easiest ways you can take a more eco-friendly approach to looking after your pet:
When cleaning up after your pet
Avoid using paper towels when cleaning your pet’s things, instead opting for washable towels or rags. If you’re using plastic baggies to dispose of your pet’s waste, consider switching to biodegradable ones – these break down after 1 month, as opposed to the plastic ones lasting for hundreds of years in landfill!
Adopt your next furry family member
There are already so many pets that need a home, so rather than buying your next pet, consider checking nearby animal shelters or check locally if a family needs to re-home one.
If you are buying, be very careful to ensure that you are buying from a trusted breeder. New illegal puppy farms are constantly springing up in response to the demand for purchased pedigree pets, and the animals are often treated very poorly.
Always check the label
Pet shampoos and sprays can often contain harmful chemicals. Check the labels of the food, shampoos and other pet products you already have, to ensure they use natural and biodegradable ingredients and packaging.
Plastic-free mealtimes for pets
You may have read our recent article on plastic-free family mealtimes, which cited a study commissioned by the WWF revealing that the average person consumes a credit card sized amount of plastic every week! Avoiding plastic tableware is a definitive step you can take to reduce microplastics leaking into your diet. The same logic applies to our pets’ lives and mealtimes too.
The Wood Life Project’s mission is to replace plastic items from people’s homes with beautiful, innovative, eco-friendly and practical wooden products, enabling people to make more ethical choices, and say no to plastic.
The Wood Life Project’s product range is centered around family mealtimes – more specifically, innovative and eco-friendly wooden plates for children. However, the range has recently been extended to cover our furry family members as well!
Following the recent launch of the cat and dog food bowls, relative sales have already surpassed those of their children’s plates.
Maybe this shouldn’t be surprising given the UK pet products market is forecast to reach £2.1 billion by 2023 – and according to Mintel reports, more than half of all UK shoppers would rather cut back spending on themselves than on their pet.
Expansion of the pets range is already being planned, so that we can better cater for the demand for eco-friendly and sustainable items for owners of beloved pets.