Do you know about the paw-some eco-friendly pet brands – like food, treats, toys and beds for your cats and dogs – that can actually help you mimimize your carbon paw-print while taking the very best care of your pets and the planet?  Here are some of our favorites!

Sustainable Pet Food

Open Farm was founded on rigorous ethical sourcing principles in 2014 after the founders searched unsuccessfully for sustainable and ethically sourced pet food for their own dogs. Since then Open Farm has made natural and good-for-the-planet dog food, cat food,  supplements, bowl boosters and treats that set the bar for the industry by committing to sustainability, ethics and transparency and the humane treatment of animals. All of their farms are audited for the most stringent animal welfare standards. With their “Know Your Footprint” feature, you can learn about Open Farm’s sustainability and animal welfare standards as well as the carbon footprint of each product. Their eco goals are to divert at least 90% of solid waste produced by sending it to recovery and recycling facilities and to have all of their packaging optimized for recycling systems in the US and Canada by 2025.  Till then you can sign-up for Terracycle and return your empty pet food bags for recycling.  Open Farm offsets emissions using high impact programs with verifiable carbon offsets.  Check out: Open Farm Bone Broth in Beef, or any of the new GoodBowl kibble available in Chicken or Salmon for cats or Chicken, Beef or Salmon for dogs.

Earthborn’s UPCs for Trees program actually plants one tree for every UPC returned.  At the time of writing this post, Earthborn has planted an astounding 1,131,704 trees around the world.  Want to turn your used Earthborn packaging into a new tree planted?  Cut out the UPC and bring it to our stores or mail to Earthborn. And the packaging itself is made from 25% recycled materials.

Champion Pet Foods, maker of Orijen and Acana, is a leader in sustainable sourcing and stewardship of animals and the planet. Ingredients are responsibly farmed, ranched, or fished local to their award-winning DogStar kitchens by people they know and trust. Champion is in the process of transitioning all their kibble, freeze dry foods and freeze dry treat bags to packaging designed for recycling. Their wet food cans are already recyclable. In addition they now use laser printed labels instead of pre-printed case labels, a change estimated to prevent 10,000 pounds of waste annually. All of their kitchens divert waste away from landfill.  The Acheson Kitchen sends waste to an anaerobic digester, which is then made into a renewable energy source.  Check out: Orijen canned food for cats and  Acana Freeze-dried patties for dogs.

Earth-friendly Dog and Cat Toys

Since 1996 West Paw has manufactured all of their toys, beds and blankets with care using safe, sustainable materials that are better for the earth, for their workers, and your pets.  West Paw toys made with ZOGOFLEX®, their own USA-made proprietary formula, use a plastic blend that can be ground up and recycled into more toys. Though nothing is indestructible, these toys come close…..and if your dog does chew up their ZOGOFLEX® toy, West Paw will replace it for free.  Check out: the Toppl, a cavity toy you can stuff and freeze, a favorite of our local trainers. 

West Paw SEAFLEX™ toys and bowls are made from their own safe and sustainable material that’s 100% recyclable. Made from 88% zero-waste ZOGOFLEX®, 12% reclaimed ocean-bound plastic, and 0% bad stuff. No latex. No Phthalates and no BPA.  We’re particularly excited about West Paw’s new Feast Mat.  It’s an all-in-one toy and feeder made with SEAFLEX™.  Fill the Feast Mat with your pup’s meal, and she’ll naturally eat more slowly, easing digestion.  It makes meal time fun, and the licking required and stimulation it provides soothes anxiety.

Karma Cat cat toys are handmade from a blend of all natural Himalayan and New Zealand wools and AZO free, non-toxic dyes. The lanolin-rich wool naturally attracts your cat, and is anti-microbial and odor resistant.  You’ll love the creative styles in vibrant natural colors. And there’s actually an oral care bonus: the wool’s rough fibers really help scrape plaque off your cat’s teeth and stimulate the gum line, supporting circulation and promoting dental health.

What’s the Buzz

Pollenating bees are critical to forest conservation and to the world’s food production. Through their partnership with 1% for the Planet, Project Hive gives away at least 1% of their revenues to saving the bees. And thats not all. Project Hive is certified carbon neutral by The Climate Change Project, and operates as a climate-neutral organization for Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions.  All Project Hive toys are BPA-free, latex-free, phthalate-free, non-toxic, and #7 recyclable.  Check out: the Hive Chew Toy, and fill it with Project Hive Training Treats (made with organic peanut butter and honey).

Here’s something to Chew On

Canophera makes coffee wood chews from 100% coffee wood and coco-fiber.  Dogs naturally love gnawing on them.  And you’ll love that they are free from sugar, caffeine, animal byproducts, artificial ingredients, and additives. Both coffee wood and coco fiber are byproducts of other agricultural industries (coffee growing and food production), so no trees are cut to make the chews. They are available in multiple sizes and are strong enough for even tough chewers. When they’re eventually gnawed down to a too-small size, you can compost them.  Check out: Canophera Coffee Wood + Coco Chews or Canophera Coffee Wood Sticks.

Speaking Litter-ly

Weruva’s It’s a Tea Potty cat litter is a naturally clumping clay-free and grain-free litter made from responsibly sourced Hinoki wood, a kind of Japanese cypress.  The hinoki wood pellets used in Tea Potty litter are a byproduct of the fabrication of flooring, furniture, sporting equipment, and even musical instruments. Hinoki wood is naturally anti-fungal, bacteria-suppressant, and a natural insecticide/ pesticide. And it smells good, too.

World’s Best Cat Litter is a natural, whole-kernel corn litter with super-absorbent granules that trap odor and form tight clumps on contact with moisture. It’s pet-, people-, and planet-friendly.  Because it’s so good at controlling odor, you can use a lot less than clay, and then compost it when it’s time to replace it.

Sustainable Snoozing

Molly Mutt makes dog ‘duvets’.  These beautifully designed stuffable dog bed covers are sold without poly fill inserts.  You actually stuff the duvet yourself!  That means you are not supporting the plastic industry, which makes the virgin poly fill stuffing used in most dog beds.  And it means dramatically less petroleum and cardboard used for shipping.  You can use up your own old clothing or recycled materials to stuff your dog’s beautiful new bed.  And Bonus, your pup is comforted because the bed smells like their human family.  Check out: the Dreams Dog Duvet, and matching Dreams Car Seat Cover.  Like Project Hive, Molly Mutt is certified carbon neutral by The Change Climate Project.

Treats with Benefits

Polka Dog Green Monstah treats (available in training-sized Bits and bigger Bones) tackle two threats to the ocean: shrinking seaweed ecosystems and invasive marine species.  These tasty nuggets and bones are sourced with nutrient-dense kelp grown through Regenerative Ocean Farming. This climate-friendly model of aquaculture that requires no freshwater, feed, or fertilizer. By using protein-rich but overpopulated green crabs, Polka Dog helps create new eco-friendly economic opportunities for local fishers.  All of Polka Dog’s treat pouches are printed locally in MA and are fully recyclable. The pouches are made from 100% Polyethylene (PE) and are fully recyclable through store drop-off locations (see How2Recycle for participating locations).

Icelandic+ makes irresistible and sustainable cat treats and dog treats from fish sourced from small farms, fisheries and processing facilities in Iceland. Their partnership with Iceland Responsible Fisheries helps support and promote sustainable fishing management. Their dog and cat treats are minimally-processed using geothermal-based energy, a clean and sustainable energy that comes directly from the heat of the planet.  Check out: Icelandic+ Whole Herring Treats for Dogs or Cats. And don’t miss our most popular dental chew,  Icelandic+ Collagen Fish Wrapped Chews. 

Project Hive’s goal is to establish 50 million square feet of wildflower habitat by 2025.  So it’s not surprise that their treats and chew sticks are made in the US with organic honey – and all non-GMO ingredients.  Every purchase directly helps establish healthy bee habitat through their non-profit partners: The Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund and the Canadian Honey Council.

The Straight Poop

No conversation about reducing your carbon paw-print would be complete without talking about poop bags.  So what’s the scoop on those green bags you see dangling from dispensers on leashes in dog parks everywhere? Those are Earth Rated biodegradable poop bags, made from 65% certified post-consumer recycled plastic, they give a second life to more than 5 million pounds of landfill-bound plastic each year.