5 Tips to Becoming a Sustainable Pet Owner

We’ve all taken steps to become more environmentally friendly in our homes. Big or small. From making sure everything is being recycled correctly to checking the ingredient lists of the products we buy. But what about our pets?

How much can they really contribute to environmental pollution?

Maybe not a conscious effort on our pets part, but our indulges in pet care can have a considerable impact on the environment throughout their lifetime.

This is our simple guide to becoming a more sustainable pet owner.

1. Grooming Products

As we begin to consider whether our personal products need to contain as many chemicals or as much packaging, we can think about our pets too. There are now many alternatives for plastic bristles in brushes, shampoo bottles and the chemicals that are reaching the water system. By changing our grooming habits and buying natural and organic products, our pet’s natural oils aren’t being disrupted by the harmful chemicals either.

2. Pet Waste 

It’s incredibly important to pick up and dispose of your dog’s waste when you’re walking to maintain a clean and healthy environment. Similarly it’s just as important to dispose of an indoor cat’s litter tray. 78% of dog waste ends up in landfill. However, we don’t need to use plastic bags anymore. We now have the luxury of biodegradable, degradable and compostable dog bags.
This is the same for cat litter, but don’t rule out even more natural products like wood pellets, corn or even grass! The simplicity of buying a different type of dog bag or cat litter can make all the difference. 

3. Walking Distances

As pet lovers we want to spoil our dogs with the best experiences. There is no issue in taking your pup to the beach, to a new location or to one that you both love. It’s great for your health as much as it is for theirs. But if it’s a daily ritual of putting the dog in the car and taking them to the dog park, it might be doing the environment more damage than good. If it’s your local park, are you able to walk or cycle? If it’s a special trip, is there someone you can share the ride with?

4. Cleaning around your pets

Whether you’re a habitual bed washer or you wait until ‘it needs doing’, there's always a time that the dog's covers or cat's fluffy blanket needs to be washed. Similar to grooming products, we can make a conscious effort to use less chemicals in our washers but we can also reduce the heat. Washing at 30 degrees uses 38% less energy than at 40 degrees and is proven to be more effective in some washing machines!

5. Donating Products

Maybe one day you decide to buy those extra special treats because they’re on offer. You buy a box but it turns out your pet doesn’t like them. Don’t throw them away! If a neighbour has a pet more fussy than yours, consider donating them to your local shelter. This also goes for pet accessories, leashes, collars and even beds! Check your shelter’s guidelines, but they’ll be incredibly grateful for any offer.

These 5 suggestions will not only affect your sustainable pet ownership, you’ll have a happy pet without the chemicals and you’ll potentially be saving some pennies too!

Even the smallest change can have an impact. Good luck!