Pawsitively Green: Sustainable Pet Care

As the summer winds down and routines start to shift, it's the perfect time to check in—not just on your own habits, but on your pet's too. Whether you're heading back to school, work, or just slowing down after vacation season, your furry companion deserves care that’s healthy for them and the planet.

Here’s how to keep your pet care sustainable as we roll into late summer.

Why Pet Care Should Be Part of Your Sustainability Goals

The average pet household produces a surprising amount of waste—think plastic treat bags, disposable toys, synthetic grooming products, and non-compostable poop bags. By making a few eco-friendly swaps, you can reduce your pet’s carbon pawprint without sacrificing comfort or quality.

Eco-Friendly Grooming Must-Haves

Summer can leave pets a little dusty and shaggy. Instead of reaching for plastic-heavy grooming products, try natural materials and ingredients instead.

• Bamboo, natural rubber, and stainless steel are used for our dog and cat brushes.

• Vermont Soap Company's Pet Magic Dog Shampoo provides a safe, natural, and nontoxic alternative to the detergent chemical shampoos nearly every other pet shampoo is made from. This dog shampoo rinses clean and works beautifully on your animals.

  Store Tip: Our in-store refillery Pet Magic shampoo available by the ounce. Bring your own container or use one of ours!

• Compostable wipes or DIY them yourself.

Pet Reusable Wipes Recipe.

Download • 403KB

Planet-Friendly Treats & Toys

Late summer is great for interactive outdoor time—just make sure their gear is as eco-conscious as your own.

• Choose durable toys made from upcycled materials like rope or natural rubber. Frankly a wool dryer ball always seems to entertain both dog and cats in our house!

• Opt for organic or locally made treats with minimal packaging. We recommend Brew Biscuits from Supply Bulk Foods delivered to Trove in a paper bag. These are made from spent grain from Couch Dog Brewing Company in Salem, MA and made in Holden, MA. We tested these on some of our furry friends and they were a hit (in addition to one cat fan who interfered).

• Avoid toys with synthetic fillers or “crinkle” materials that aren't recyclable. Even though dogs love squeaky toys, I always take them out because ours tends to rip every toy open and I don't want her to swallow them.

• Cats are happy with a new cardboard box and cat nip of course! Who knew that one little green plant could unleash total feline mayhem? Catnip is 100% natural, totally compostable, and beloved by cats everywhere—for about 10 minutes at a time before they pass out in a state of blissful confusion. It’s like herbal tea for your cat… if herbal tea made you sprint across the room, yell at furniture, and then roll on your back like you’ve discovered enlightenment.

  Whether it’s stuffed in a toy or sprinkled like fairy dust, catnip is the greenest way to send your kitty on a wild, eco-friendly bender—with zero regrets and lots of drool. We get ours loose from Supply Bulk foods.

Want to try your hand at making your own dog treats? Here’s a quick recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats

• 1 ripe banana

• 2 tbsp natural peanut butter (no xylitol!)

Mash, mix, roll into balls, and refrigerate! Simple, healthy, and waste-free.

Everyday Green: Sustainable General Pet Care

Daily care matters just as much as the flashy toys and treats. Here are some small swaps that can make a big difference:

• Swedish Cloths: These reusable, biodegradable cloths are perfect for wiping muddy paws, cleaning water bowl spills, or quick messes around crates and litter boxes. They replace dozens of paper towels and last for months (bonus compost them when they have run their course)

• Recycled Collars & Leashes: Look for gear made from upcycled webbing or post-consumer materials—strong, stylish, and sustainable.

• Stainless Steel Bowls: Durable, easy to sanitize, and fully recyclable. These bowls outlast plastic ones and help reduce bacteria buildup.

• Eco Food Storage: Store kibble in airtight glass jars or upcycled bins instead of single-use bags. Some pet food brands now offer bulk or compostable options.

• Sustainable Cat Litter Options: Skip the clay and go green with litter made from recycled paper, wood shavings, wheat, corn, or coconut husk. These plant-based litters are biodegradable, low-dust, and compostable (when disposed of properly)—gentler on paws and the planet. (Check out Spruce Pets Testing of litters)

• Stainless Steel Litter Boxes: Odor-resistant, easy to clean, and virtually indestructible, these long-lasting boxes won’t absorb smells or scratch like plastic—and they’re fully recyclable when retired, making them a smart, sustainable choice for cleaner paws and a cleaner planet.

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Recycling Pet Food Containers

While most curbside recycling programs can’t process flexible, multilayer pet food bags, you can drop them off at Pet Supplies Plus and PetSmart stores who participate in the TerraCycle in-store recycle program. They accept empty flexible pet food, treat, and litter bags from any brand, for any pet in designated bins—and TerraCycle transforms them into new materials. Metal cans of food can be recycled curbside.

How to Recycle Pet Packaging the Right Way

✅ YES — You Can Recycle:

• ✔️ Empty, flexible bags from dry food, treats, and litter

• ✔️ Any brand (when using programs like the one at Pet Supplies Plus and Petsmart)

• ✔️ Aluminum pet food cans (rinse before curbside recycling)

• ✔️ Paper-based treat boxes (flatten before binning)

🚫 NO — Skip These in the Blue Bin:

• ❌ Plastic-lined paper bags (unless specified recyclable)

• ❌ Pouches with foil lining (these require specialty disposal as noted above.)

• ❌ Wet food pouches or meat-based sachets (these require specialty disposal as noted above)

🧽 Quick Prep Tips:

• Empty out food crumbs or leftover kibble

• Give cans a light rinse

• Let packaging air-dry to prevent mold in bins

• Look for in-store drop-off stations (like at Pet Supplies Plus) when in doubt

Don’t Forget Fish, Birds & Small Pets!

Small companions deserve sustainable love, too! Whether you care for birds, reptiles, guinea pigs, hamsters, hedgehogs, or fish—eco choices make a big difference.

Natural Tank & Habitat Ideas:

• Aquarium Plants & Bio-Filters: Real aquatic plants and natural filtration help fish tanks stay clean with fewer chemicals.

• Eco Gravel & Driftwood: Avoid dyed or synthetic décor—opt for smooth stones, untreated driftwood, and ceramic hiding spots.

• Wooden Structures & Chew Toys: For rodents and bunnies, untreated wood toys, ramps, and tunnels are compostable and safe.

• Sustainable Bedding: Choose recycled paper or hemp-based bedding over plastic shavings.

• Natural Perches: Birds benefit from real branch perches that mimic their natural environment.

By switching to planet-friendly pet products, you’re not just keeping your companion happy—you’re taking steps toward a cleaner world, one paw at a time.

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