17 Sustainable Pet Products & Ideas for Zero Waste Pet Care
In our pursuit of an eco-friendly lifestyle and less waste, we sometimes forget one family member or household member. Thus, we've compiled our selections of 17 sustainable pet products for both cats and dogs.
Pets matter, too, when it comes to making sustainable choices
Rover the dog, Ginger the cat, and any of the other millions of pets worldwide can sometimes unintentionally start to notch up on waste. There are an estimated 51 million pets in the UK and 90 million pets in the US. Think about all those dog poop bags, flea treatment products, bowls, and chewed balls, and you’ll start to gauge the extent of the problem.
Additionally, both cats and dogs eat meat-heavy diets. Whereas we might love our pets to bits, there’s a decent chance you haven’t stopped to consider their environmental impact as much as your own.
As with most aspects of our lives, we can do a handful of small things with ease to ensure we live more sustainably. And the same is true for our pets.
A note on diet
We now know that our consumption of meat is harming the climate. Thankfully, most pet food does come in more sustainable plastic-free cans. However, dry goods, dog rolls, and individual premium tubs for cats and dogs can come in plastic bags, wraps, and tubs.
There’s an easy solution here for pet owners: choosing cans instead. And you can have a chat with your vet about sustainable dog food choices containing natural ingredients next time you visit.
Best Eco-Friendly Pet Products
Meanwhile, when they’ve been good, or it's time to treat them, here are sustainable and eco-friendly pet products & ideas for the dogs and cats in your life.
Click to Jump to the Best Eco-Friendly Pet Products for Your Dog and Cat
10 Sustainable Pet Products for Dogs
1. Sustainable Dog Rope Toys
First up in our list of best sustainable pet products, we have rope toys - brilliant for the adventurous dog in your life that wants to run and chase or the more docile pooch that likes to sit in his favorite position and chew away at his dog bed. Instead, a rope toy is a lasting chew that might just save you a more expensive furniture replacement. Soak them in water and freeze them; as they unravel, they’ll have a floss-like effect.
These eco-friendly dog products are perfect for a game of fetch or teething puppies—a bit of fun, cleaner teeth, and a plastic bone replacement all in one.
2. Compostable Eco-Friendly Poop Bags
Check out this box of 120 compostable poop bags made from cornstarch, not plastic. In short, use these bags to pick up your pet waste, and they will, in time, reduce to zero. They’re even certified safe for home composting. As such, if you have a home compost and you pop them in there, complete with the lawn clippings, they’ll compost entirely after a few months.
If you don’t have a home compost when you dispose of them in the trash, they will also break down in the landfill.
Be slightly aware of biodegradable poop bags (and similarly biodegradable garbage bags). Biodegradable bags often need precisely the right conditions to degrade, conditions usually not found in a landfill.
Accordingly, pick the more sustainable compostable pet waste bags to add to your pet supplies that require moisture and exposure to bacteria. One of those essential eco-dog products every owner should have ready for the next walking adventure.
Compostable Dog Waste Bags on Amazon:
3. Eco-Friendly Bamboo Single Layer Dog Leash
Wagging Green makes these dog leashes from non-toxic bamboo, and they come with a metal clip for all plastic-free construction. With contrasting colors, we like their orange and grey selection. Pictured in cream, whenever you take Rover for a walk, you’ll know you’re doing so with an eco-friendly leash. This essential sustainable pet product for dogs is 5 feet long and comes in 2 different widths.
4. WashBar Soap for Dogs
Gift these soap bars to yourself or other dog owners for a sustainable pet wash that’s better for the environment. You can also use them for cats or any pet that looks like they’ve lost their natural sheen to the mud.
Soap bars make for a great alternative to any type of shampoo that we use in plastic bottles. It’s how we used to do it before plastic bottles became so popular, and it's certainly better than requiring plastic bottles that we only use once.
The makers claim these are gentle on the skin and have a money-back guarantee. They also do a line in paw balm using New Zealand Kanuka oil for a little post-wash sustainable grooming.
Zero Waste Pet Wash Bars on Amazon:
5. Jax and Bones Luxury Dog Bed
Jax and Bones make a great line of new, snappy-looking dog bed products. With a range of pet beds in different fabrics and styles, you’ll surely find one that suits you and your mutt.
Jax and Bones fill their dog beds with stuffing made from recycled plastic bottles. And 8-12 recycled 7UP bottles find their way into each bed. The company has claimed its manufacturing process has included recycled materials from 7 million plastic bottles to date in the United States. And that’s a bunch of bottles not leaching harmful chemicals into the environment.
After all, your eco-friendly dog deserves to rest well after a tough day chasing the neighbor’s cat.
More Options: Best Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Dog Beds.
6. Eco-Friendly Bamboo Dog Brushes
Your dog’s fur can get everywhere. Give your pet a good brush with these bamboo dog brushes. A regular brush will help remove loose hair before it ends up all over your carpet and remove dead skin and nasty tangles.
Plus, if you choose a dog brush made from bamboo, you are doing a little bit for sustainability by avoiding cheaper plastic numbers. Plus, when ethically sourced, bamboo is better for the environment than many other types of wood.
Our choice of grooming products for your furry friends comes with two sides, making it perfect for most hair types.
Eco-Friendly Bamboo Dog Brushes on Amazon:
7. Personalised Dog Tags
These sustainable handmade metal tags come in brass or nickel and with various styles and prints. And the best news is that his or her name will never rub off as they engrave these to order. Nice!
8. Stainless Steel Dog Bowl
These snappy bowls look great. Made from food-safe stainless steel with a non-slip ring, it won’t move around for your eco-pet during dinner time.
Are you sick of those plastic bowls getting slowly destroyed? They build these bowls to last, and therefore, they make great zero-waste pet care options for pet parents.
Related: When out and about, take a collapsible water bottle to fill up when needed to help keep your doggy and yourself hydrated.
9. Eco-Friendly Dog Treats
When your number one pet has been well-behaved, or perhaps when his dog toys have worn thin, it's time to treat the fur babies in your life.
There’s a whole range of eco-friendly dog treats on the market these days, from Antlers that make great chews (sourced by the seller from natural sheds) to the super cute personalized dog treats pictured below.
Pet lovers can shop around a little for sustainable pet treats to treat your favorite. You’re also likely to find various local suppliers making eco-friendly dog treats, free from preservatives and ideally stacked full of healthy, locally sourced organic ingredients. As your doggie might enjoy these regularly, shop local to avoid the carbon footprint that comes as a result of shipping
10. Natural Hemp Dog Collar
Next on our list of sustainable pet ideas is another handmade item. These natural hemp eco-friendly dog collars are strong and long-lasting. The hemp construction helps these collars resist deteriorating in light or saltwater, adding to their durability. Box stitched with welded steel D rings and clasps; they’ll keep a healthy dog at the end of any lead.
Hemp makes a great choice to construct your choice of eco-friendly dog collar as it is less resource-intensive to grow than most materials, and products made from hemp plants are far more environmentally friendly than synthetics.
7 Environmentally Friendly Pet Products for Cats
11. Ore' Pet Recycled Place Mats
Perfect for under his or her bowl, Ore' Pet makes these placemat products from recycled rubber. Therefore, they make great underlays that you can set on top of eco-conscious pet bowls filled with sustainable pet food. And make cleaning up the inevitable mess those naughty animals create that little more manageable.
Recycled Rubber Pet Placemats on Amazon:
12. Eco-kicker Catnip Cat Toy - Birds of a Sweater
They make these cute, environmentally friendly catnip toys from organic catnip, recycled fiber, and 45% recycled canvas. They color these pet toys with recycled inks that are baby-safe, meaning they’re OK around the house for just about anyone, including pussy.
Even better, 10% of each of their eco-conscious pet products' sale helps feed feral cats across the US.
13. Cat Balls in Cork
If your cat likes to play and not sleep all day like some of the ones we know, then these cat balls make the perfect sustainable pet product choice for your cat.
Because these cork cat ball toys come from cork harvested from bark, no trees get cut down in their manufacture. And no plastic is required for products to be eco-friendly and ready to roll.
The stripes get painted on using vegan, eco-friendly paint and give the balls an amusing look. These environmentally friendly pet products come in a set of three.
14. Cat Cave / Bed
We love these cat beds made from sheep wool, one of the most natural fibers out there. They make for a perfect hideaway for your cat and a calm night's sleep. They’d also suit a small dog.
You can even contact the seller for a custom lining to suit either your style or your cats. Make your selections of eco-friendly pet products and beds depending on who rules the roost.
15. Sustainable Kitty Litter
When it comes to choosing cat litter, look out for the compostable varieties. Today, there’s a range of eco-friendly and sustainable options about the place. We’ve picked out one of the most popular below from Naturally Fresh and, alongside it, an eco pet box disposable tray.
Sustainable & Eco-Friendly Kitty Litter on Amazon:
More Options: Best Eco-Friendly Cat Litters.
16. Super-Cute 6 Signs You're Secretly A Cat Mug
OK, so this one probably won’t suit your cat quite as much as its owner. We liked it so much that we thought we’d include it regardless. At least when serving your morning coffee or tea in this ceramic mug, you’ll be reminded, as will your cat, of quite how much you’re like them.
17. Pettsie Cat Collar
Finally, in our list of the best eco-friendly options for your pets to pursue a more sustainable lifestyle, we’ve featured these cute collars we love.
Pettsie constructs these lightweight collars from cotton rather than plastic, which is found in the majority out there. Once again, they do contain small plastic fasteners, but no one's perfect, right?
