You can love your pet without contributing to a wasteful pet economy. The animal care industry has long been associated with excessive packaging, novelty toys, and single-use plastics. What can eco-conscious pet owners do?
As consumers, you hold significant power to drive change by altering your purchasing choices. Fortunately, there are many eco-friendly options available that allow you to care for your pets sustainably. Small brands offer innovative solutions such as food waste turned into pet treats, toy and gear repair programs, recycling initiatives, and cat condos crafted from repurposed materials.
Eco-Friendly Pet Brands
Photo courtesy of Portland Food Company
Portland Pet Food Company collaborates with local breweries to transform spent barley malt grains into Brew Biscuits. These dog treats diverted 13,000 pounds of brew waste from landfills in 2024. The company upcycles ingredients like salmon, bacon, and sweet potatoes through partnerships with local vendors. Additionally, Portland Pet Food offers a recycling program in alliance with TerraCycle.
Photo courtesy of Benebone
Benebone offers a recycling program for dog chew toys. After your dog chews through at least five toys, you can create an account on their website, purchase a $10 recycling label (refunded as credit), and send the used toys to be repurposed into new products.
Photo courtesy of West Paw
Founded by Spencer Williams, West Paw focuses on sustainable supply chains, supporting rural economies and land conservation. Their beef sticks can be traced back to grass-fed cows on regenerative ranches. West Paw also recycles dog gear from polyester fibers and ocean plastic. Their “Join the Loop” program recycles used toys into new products.
Photo courtesy of Weruva
Weruva tackles pet food waste with its Werucycle Program. Pet food containers are repurposed into materials for park benches and playground equipment. By Earth Day 2025, Weruva had recycled nearly 300,000 pieces of packaging.
Photo courtesy of Real Dog Box
Real Dog Box offers monthly assortments of treats made from food industry byproducts. Packaged in reusable bags and recycled boxes, these treats cater to pets with dietary needs. The subscription includes text access to nutritionists and features a zero-waste design.
Photo courtesy of Purrniture Cat Furniture
Purrniture Cat Furniture creates cat trees and furniture from surplus materials. The company, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, hosts cat adoption events and employs individuals with disabilities.
Photo courtesy of Wilder Harrier
Wilder Harrier uses insect protein for pet food, offering products made from cricket protein and black soldier flies. They also utilize invasive silver carp for omega-rich dog food. Canadian customers can recycle pet food bags through Wilder Harrier’s mail-in program.
Photo courtesy of Shameless Pets
Shameless Pets produces dog and cat treats from human food supply discards, such as apple pulp and lobster shells. The Chicago-based brand provides transparent information about their ingredients and partnering farms.
Photo courtesy of the Conscious Pet
The Conscious Pet partners with local businesses to recover food scraps, transforming them into pet treats using renewable energy. The zero-waste treats are packaged in compostable bags.
Photo courtesy of Blue Toby Sustainable Pet Products
Blue Toby Sustainable Pet Products offers dog beds made from recycled materials and foam cast-offs. For every bed sold, the brand donates a blanket to shelter pets and plants a tree.
Photo courtesy of ModernBeast
ModernBeast is dedicated to eliminating excess and supporting animal welfare organizations. All profits go to these causes. The company uses recycled materials for their products, such as dog beds and bandanas, and operates like a nonprofit.
Photo courtesy of Lil’ Archies
Lil’ Archies started with compostable poop bags and now offers leashes and collars made from recycled fibers. The company upcycles excess material into limited-run dog gear.
Original Story at www.sierraclub.org