How I Stay Eco Friendly With a Dog

In a world where everyone’s trying to reduce waste, having a pet makes that a lot tougher! But it’s not impossible. Here are a few ways you can stay eco-friendly, even with a wasteful pup.

Buy sustainable pet foods

Pets can have a big ecological footprint, and their food plays a big contribution to that. It takes a lot of energy and resources to create pet food, so buying from a sustainable company can really help reduce that footprint.

I feed Willo Open Farm dry and freeze dried raw recipes. They are 100% transparent about their ingredients and where they come from, so not only do I feel good about the food that’s going into Willo’s body, but I feel good about supporting the brand as well. All of the meat and fish they use is ethically sourced, and you can even see exactly where their ingredients are coming from. I also love that Open Farm created the first nationwide pet food bag recycling program.

“We partner with Terracycle, a leader in the recycling industry, that collects difficult-to-recycle packaging and products that would otherwise be destined for landfills. It repurposes that waste into affordable, innovative materials and products. We are proud to announce that to date we’ve successfully collected and recycled over 100,000 Open Farm bags!”

Use organic grooming and pesticide products

The chemicals used in some pet products like shampoos and flea and tick repellant can negatively affect the environment and be poisonous to wildlife. We use organic, chemical-free grooming and pesticide products not only because it’s better for Willo, but because it’s also better for the planet.

My go-to brand is kin+kind, they use organic ingredients in all of their products. They are all about natural remedies for dogs and cats that have allergies or intolerances. So not only are their products great for the environment, they’re good for your pets as well. I especially love using their waterless shampoo and their flea and tick spray.

Choose environmentally friendly toys

Believe it or not, dog toys are contributing to the earth’s downfall as well *le sigh*. So many of them are chewed up within a week and thrown away, and because we love and spoil our dogs, we buy them more and the cycle starts over. The energy and plastics that go into their production is not good for the environment.

I’ve learned that it’s better to buy dog toys that are made out of sustainable materials, and that last longer, so that we’re not being wasteful. Kong makes really durable toys (Willo loves a stuffed Kong).

Here are some other great companies making sustainable dog toys:

Prevent pet waste pollution

We all know that as responsible dog owners, we must clean up after our dog. Your dog’s excrement can carry disease, pollute waterways and coastal zones, all having an adverse impact on wildlife. But the bags we use to clean it up can clog up landfills, pollute bodies of water and harm the environment as well.

Using biodegradable poop bags like Earth Rated will reduce that waste immensely. I love Earth Rated because they do everything possible to reduce their carbon footprint. Check out their entire process here!

Their products are also really cheap and connect easily to your dog’s leash. You can even buy them on amazon, so there’s no excuse not to use them.