Is your pet eco-friendly? It seems like a lot of pet owners overlook their pets when transitioning from their own typical purchases to more environmentally friendly products. We search for ways to reduce our own carbon footprints and completely overlook our pet's carbon footprint. In fact, a pet's carbon footprint is about twice the size of an SUV! So how can we help reduce our pet's pawprint? Here are some tips:
1.) Ditch the plastic bowls:
When buying pet bowls, opt for purchasing stainless steel or ceramic bowls, the bowls themselves won't leach harmful chemicals into your pet's food or water. It will last longer than your typical plastic bowl so you'll reduce unnecessary waste going to landfills. (Fact: Plastic can take up to at least 1,000 years to decompose in a landfill.)
2.) Grooming
Look for grooming products that are made with organic natural ingredients instead of buying products that can harm the environment once they get into our water or soil.
3.) Poop and Scoop
Probably one of the tasks many pet owners tend to avoid, picking up after their pets. It's not the most enjoyable tasks but it has to be done. What exactly do you use to pick up your pets waste? Plastic bags you get at the store?
Many pet stores have started to sell biodegradable poo bags. Choose these over regular plastic bags.
You can also scoop your pets waste and begin composting it. Don't mix your pets waste with a compost pile you have for your garden, start a new compost pile just for your pet waste. Canada's Office of Urban Agriculture has a site with an easy step-by-step photo guide on making a dog waste composter in your back yard.
4.) Eco-friendly Products
Buy environmentally friendly products. There is now a wide variation of toys, apparel, beds and much more of pet supplies that are sustainable and eco-friendly. Buying pet toys at the dollar store can come with risks. A lot of pet toys do not go through testing to see if the chemicals used to produce the toy are safe for your pet. Fabrics and cushions are treated with flame retardant chemicals and are not bounded to the foam or fabrics, they end up settled into the dust in our homes and are ingested through hand to mouth contact; this can harm not only our pets but pet owners as well.
If you're interested in buying eco-friendly and sustainable products, check out what we here at Dolphin Blue can offer you and your pet. Don't forget to recycle all the packaging that comes with it when you purchase toys, food, apparel, etc.
5.) Food
Purchase organic and natural food for your pets or go the extra mile and make your own pet food. Search online or throughout pet supply stores for natural and organic foods, they're easier for your pet's stomach. They're also great pet food recipes online for you to try out.
Owning a pet comes with great responsibility. You are not just taking care of an animal; you are taking care of a companion that will be there for you no matter what. Nurture and love your pet.