New Year’s Resolutions for a Greener Year with Your Dog
Thursday, January 7, 2021 10:31:02 AM America/Los_Angeles
Life with a dog is a fulfilling experience with countless joys. But having a dog isn’t without its challenges. Aside from medical and behavioral issues, day to day life as a pet parent means using products that regularly produce waste. However, as awareness develops around sustainability, there are increasingly more ways for you to develop earth-friendly habits that benefit both your dog and the environment. Below are five easy changes you can make as a dog parent to make sure you both have a greener year!
Photo by Artem Beliaikin
- Donate unused/unwanted goods: We’ve all been there--you spend hours researching a new dog food or spend your hard earned dollars on the latest toy to hit the shelves only to have them be rejected by your fur baby. Instead of tossing or hoarding unwanted goodies, consider donating them to your local shelter. You can even donate items that aren’t pet-specific such as blankets, small bowls, and unused sponges. Just be sure to call the shelter you’d like to donate to, so you know what they can’t or won’t take.
- Adopt from a local shelter: If you don’t quite yet have a pup in your life, or you’re looking to add another canine member to your family, adopting is a sustainable way to begin your new life together! Providing a home for a shelter animal has tons of benefits: making space for other dogs in need, reducing pet waste as more dogs are taken in by shelters, and minimizing potential transport needed to adopt a purebred are just a few of the advantages.
- Use compostable poo bags: Poo bags are one of the most frequently used supplies. Unfortunately, they’re also made out of plastic--a highly unsustainable material that can take up to 1,000 years to decompose! It’s pretty difficult to avoid using poo bags, but using more eco friendly alternatives can help mitigate plastic waste. Opt for compostable poo bags, which will naturally decompose in landfills without leaving behind any microplastics.
- Utilize non-plastic pee pads: Pee pads are yet another necessity that creates large amounts of plastic waste for already overwhelmed landfills. Natural pee pads such as Bark Potty not only reduce waste, they’re also much more convenient as they require less upkeep. It’s a win-win!
- Buy foods and treats with sustainably sourced ingredients: There’s no excuses for not buying treats or food made with sustainable ingredients these days. Even sustainable proteins are becoming popular! Sustainable ingredients aren’t only good for the environment, they’re also beneficial for your dog’s health. Sustainable ingredients are ethically sourced to minimize the impact we have on the earth’s resources as pet parents. This also means the ingredients are GMO-free, pesticide free, and void of meat by-products, so that your dog can reap the benefits of sustainable ingredients too!
Bark Potty partners with 1% for the Planet to donate 1% of our sales to One Tree Planted. 1% for the Planet is a network of businesses that have committed to taking responsibility for the environmental impacts of their various industries. 1% for the Planet encourages businesses to practice corporate responsibility by facilitating donations to grassroots environmental organizations such as One Tree Planted. Each Bark Potty purchase you make further supports our collective efforts to reduce the ecological footprint that humans have left on the environment!