It's April, and that means Earth Day is fast approaching! We live in Portland where, as a community, we make a conscious effort to recycle, buy local, and shop local (like at Pets On Broadway!).

Here are a few of our sustainable and local products to help reduce your pet's carbon pawprint: 

Sustainable Products

It can be difficult to be a conscious consumer with so many options when it comes to pet products. Considering alternative products like washable puppy pads and recycling anything you can't reuse makes a large impact over time.

This list is here to help guide you through some of our more eco-friendly options!

Cat Litter

It is estimated that our pets produce 10 million pounds of waste per year. Much of that waste sits in plastic bags in landfills and takes years to break down.

Clay litter is the most ubiquitous choice for many cat owners, but clay presents its own challenges to the environment as it is strip mined and does not break down easily.

It is not a good idea to flush your cat's waste, but there are eco-friendly litter options available. These litters are made of recycled materials and break down easier than non-organic materials.

Some bio-friendly options include:

• Corn
  • World's Best Litter
  • Nature's Miracle
  • Integrity Corn Cob
• Wheat
  • sWheat Scoop
  • Integrity Wheat
• Recycled Paper
  • Easy Clean
  • Integrity Cobbled Paper
• Wheatgrass
  • Smart Cat (seed, clumping)
  • Cat Country (pellet)
• Blue Walnut Litter
  • Made of walnut shells, this litter comes in clumping form or non-clumping pellets.
• Weruva Tea Potty litter
  • Made from up-cycled Hinoki wood and green tea leaves
  • The green tea makes this litter smell great and deodorizes your litter box. It's also recycled dregs from a nearby tea factory! 

Poop Bags

• Earth Rated
  • Earth Rated makes compostable bags made from corn starch, which will break down in under 1 month and are accepted at any compost facility that accepts pet waste!
  • Their green colored bags contain an EPI additive which helps them break down quicker than traditional plastic.
• Green Pups
  • Made from recycled tree pulp, these bags take a waste product and turned it into a product to collect waste with!
  • Made with lignin: a natural byproduct of the paper-making process and a renewable resource.
  • Accepted at any compost facility that allows pet waste!

• Cycle Dog
  This Portland, Oregon, company uses corn and plant start to create a bio-degradable bag that will break down in less than a year.
• Their poop bag holders are made out of recycled bike tires, just like their collars.

Beds

• P.L.A.Y.
  • Each bed is made with PlanetFill stuffing, which is made from recycled plastic bottles, and they dye their beds using AZO-free dye.
  • For every purchase of a bed, PLAY donates 2% of the purchase price to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, which protects wildlife habitats and the commercial exploitation of animals.
    
    
• Big Shrimpy
  
  • Big Shrimpy gathers existing leftover fleece pieces to create a blended bed filling of recycled materials.
  • The company also offers to recycle your bed if you ever have a reason to get rid of it, simply send it back to them! 

Food

When it comes to pet food, options have tripled in the last few years. This is a short list of some pet food companies that have made sustainable sourcing one of their quality standards.

Remember, what goes in must come out! The quality of the ingredients in your pet's diet determines the toxicity of their waste. By feeding quality ingredients, you will see a difference in the amount of waste they produce (and how quickly it breaks down).

Petcurean: Gather Food

Gather was created with the earth in mind. Using organic ingredients sourced from high-quality farms, Petcurean focused on finding humanely raised animals, and MSC certified fishers (even their krill is sustainably harvested!).

All of Petcureans foods are non-GMO and their bags are comprised of 30% plant material.

The Honest Kitchen

The Honest Kitchen is an award-winning brand when it comes to their sourcing practices. Focused on organic ingredients, they dehydrate their food to keep more of the natural nutrients intact for your pet.

Toys

• Wool toys
  • Wool is a sustainably-sourced material that stands up to being bitten, batted around, and drooled on. If your wool toy loses its shape, simply soak it in some room temperature water and air-dry to get them cleaned and back to their original form.
    
    
• Cardboard cat scratchers
  • Cardboard scratchers are made from 100% post-recycled materials and can be recycled when your cats are done shredding them.

Local Products

Snooks

Made in Estacada, Oregon, these treats are 100% dried sweet potato. These simple treats are a great chew for any dog, and they stay crunchy to help clean your dog's teeth. We get Snooks directly from the source and they are one of our staff picks for favorite local products!

Wild Chewz

Based in Bend, Wild Chewz collects naturally shed deer antlers from their local habitats and turn them into one of the longest-lasting natural chews for your dog!

Deer antlers are a naturally occurring resource and getting them straight from Bend majorly cuts down on transportation (and gas!).

Portland Pet Food Company

Portland Pet Food makes their treats using spent grains gathered from local distilleries (soaked and rinsed before use), turning a waste product of one of Portland's favorite products into treats for our favorite pets!

Cycle Dog 

Their collars and leashes are made from recycled bike tires and are anti-microbial as well as environmentally friendly. Cycle Dog is a Portland company, and they also make earth-friendly poop bags.

From The Field

From The Field is located in Washington and we get our shipments directly from the company. Hemp is a sustainable material with benefits for the environment. They grow organic catnip and make hemp products for dogs and cats!

Little Ways To Make A Difference

Sometimes the biggest change can come from changing a simple habit.  Do you feed canned food? Make sure to rinse and recycle each can after use. Consider donating to the Oregon Spay and Neuter fund to help prevent pet overpopulation, and please adopt your next animal!

Our donation boxes will be sent to the Oregon Spay and Neuter Fund throughout the month of April!

For more information about any of our environmentally friendly and local products, please ask one of our POB team members!