Four Ways to Reduce Our Pup's Environmental Paw Print

From the contents of our diet to our spending habits, the last decade has encouraged many of us to be more conscious of our environmental impact. While some changes are more obvious and easy to make than others, it's important to the planet's future that we constantly look for new ways to lower the amount of waste our lifestyles create.

One commonly overlooked way to lower our environmental footprint (or, in this case, paw print) - is to to raise our awareness of the impact our fur-babies are having on the world. In early 2020, the Pet Sustainability Coalition estimated that 136 million kg of plastic waste is created each year, only by pet food and treat bags, and only in the United States. Can you imagine how much more waste is being produced on a global scale right now, especially considering how many people brought pets into their lives during the pandemic? It's hard to picture.

The good news is there are plenty of simple changes we can make to significantly reduce our pup's environmental and ecological impact! Here are four to help get you started.

Waste Disposal

This will seem an obvious one to many of you. For the longest time, we've been warned about the long-term damage that plastic bags are capable of. As a result, we've made the transition to environmentally-friendly poo bags, yet not all of these are created equal. While many claim to be biodegradable, they are actually compostable. What's that mean? In short, many bags designed for composting don't have the ability to break down at a landfill, because the trash is so compacted that the oxygen the process requires is cut off.

That's why it's so important to source truly biodegradable options, like our Deja Poo waste bags. With these bags, you can be sure that when you dispose of your pup's poo, you aren't creating more waste at the same time.

Treat Yourself

We all love treating our pups once in a while, yet buying products off the shelves contributes to needless plastic waste. The solution? Treat yourself!

By that, we mean make your fur-baby's treats at home using the same ingredients you already have around the home. We wrote an article last year about our favourite Christmas treats, but there's no reason these can't be made any time of the year. They're cheap, easy to make, and we all know there's nothing better than a home-cooked meal with just a dash of love added to the mixture.

Explore Locally

Some days just call for walkies on the beach, or a park on the edge of town. There's no problem with that. Walking around the same streets can get boring for both of you eventually. Nevertheless, there's an easy way to cut down on the driving that we often resort to in order to find new and exciting places for walks: explore your local area.

Jump on an app like Google maps and grab a bird's-eye view of your surroundings. You'll be surprised at how many amazing locations you'll find for walkies that you never knew about, especially in the city. Save the exhaust fumes, and go for an adventure in the neighbourhood. Your dog is sure to love it.

Change up the Diet

As with us humans, changing up a dog's diet is one of the most important steps to take in the process of cutting down on their ecological footprint. In fact, pet food is estimated to be responsible for up to a quarter of the meat industry's environmental impact.

Vegan food is one option for pups, but you don't even need to go that far (and definitely shouldn't for cats, as they require meat in their diet). Simply switching from a food with beef to one with chicken will make a difference, as will supporting brands that highlight the actions they take to reduce the impact producing their food has on the environment.

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Have any other tips for how to reduce our fur-baby's environmental paw print?
Be sure to share them in the comments.