Pet Products
Green isn't just for humans
The amount Americans now spend on their pets is $41 billion a year—and rising. This is more than the gross domestic product of all but 64 countries in the world.1 Greening a sector of the economy this big can have far-reaching implications on the environment, and on the well-being of your pet.
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West Paw Design® manufactures quality dog and cat products while also taking care of the environment, employees and customers. |
Cruelty-free foods
The recent food contamination scare induced some pet owners to go so far as to abandon commercially-prepared food entirely for homemade raw recipes .2 Others began examining labels: just what are "animal by-products" anyway?
Some companies offer vegan alternatives to traditional meat-based animal chow, while others sell cruelty-free meat-based pet foods. Check for the words "cruelty-free" and "human grade." These foods are made from human-grade meats, without the sub-par, contaminated animal parts that can hide under the name "by-products." They are not tested on animals (in the sense that no vivisection is performed, although taste tests are of course used), and are less likely to negatively impact the environment.
Skin care products, flea dips, etc.
Keeping your pet healthy includes keeping fleas and ticks off their skin while maintaining a healthy coat. You can forgo the usual toxic chemicals in flea baths and shampoos by looking for the many herbal alternatives on the market today, many of which smell much better than their chemical counterparts.
Beyond the scooper
Picking up after your dog is the right thing to do. Putting their waste in a plastic bag that won't degrade for a long time is not the best solution, however. The city of San Francisco has an innovative program that provides biodegradable containers for dog waste which bacteria then converts to methane to be used for fuel.3
For cats, you might want to consider exchanging your clay-based litter for biodegradable and organic litters made from plant-based material.
Learn more
Sources
- The Pet Economy, August 6, 2007, http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_32/b4045001.htm
- Home Cooking for Pets Is Suddenly Not So Odd, April 2, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/02/business/02pets.html?_r=1&oref=slogin - Environmental Protection Agency
Report: Clean Energy and Clean Shoes in San Francisco, December 18, 2007
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/2006news/06-dog.htm
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