In response to a recent survey, nearly 70% of pet parents expressed interest in eco-friendly actions. Acknowledging this, PetSmart announced it is unleashing a wave of eco-friendly initiatives — expanding its range of sustainable products and introducing innovative recycling programs.
PetSmart has teamed up with brands like West Paw, PetPlate, and TerraCycle to offer more eco-friendly choices for pet owners.
Making eco-friendly choices as a pet owner can be both beneficial for the environment and cost-effective. One great tip is to switch to all-natural pet food. This can help you reduce your pet's carbon pawprint. For example, pet food made from clean, farm-raised insects like crickets or grubs is packed with protein, vitamins, and fiber and is less likely to trigger allergies in your pet. Plus, it uses significantly less water and land to produce than traditional meat-based pet foods and generates up to 80 times less methane gas.
Another smart choice is to switch to eco-friendly kitty litter and poop bags. Traditional clay cat litter is harmful to the environment due to the destructive strip mining process used to collect it, as The Kind Pet blog notes.
Instead, the blog advises, you can opt for biodegradable litter made from materials like corn, wood, recycled paper, walnut shells, or grass. These options break down naturally and help to reduce landfill trash. Additionally, using compostable dog poop bags can reduce the billions of plastic bags used annually, which contribute significantly to plastic pollution.
These environmentally friendlier products make sure pets get safe, high-quality items while also helping protect the environment.
In addition to these new options, PetSmart is trying out new programs in some stores. The West Paw Join the Loop® pilot program lets you bring back old dog toys for recycling in over 75 stores, and the TerraCycle program in 100 stores takes back pet food bags that can't be recycled normally.
Joanne Dwyer, vice president of corporate social responsibility and corporate communications at PetSmart, stated, "We hear that our pet parents want to join us in reducing our impacts on the planet and operating ethically and responsibly. We can't solve the challenges we face alone. Collaboration — with peers, business partners, trade associations, animal welfare organizations and pet parents — is a cornerstone of our CSR strategy."
PetSmart's eco-friendly initiatives fit into larger goals for sustainability and encourage more people to care about the environment for themselves and their furry friends.
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