Environmentally Friendly Dog Products

If you are a pet lover who cares about the environment, you can find a green alternative for just about everything you could want for your dog. While still a niche industry, your local pet shops probably won't specialize in environmentally friendly products. However, plenty of online retailers supply everything from hemp leashes and beds to chews and treats made from free-range cattle or elk antlers, which are shed naturally every year.

  1. Hemp

    • Hemp dog products are biodegradable, hypoallergenic and grown without pesticides or herbicides. Hemp can replace anything made out of plastic or wood and, with the current health fears around plastic contamination of food and concerns about deforestation, hemp use makes sense. It is stronger and lasts longer than cotton. Toys made out of hemp will also eliminate any worries about your dog chewing on potentially dangerous plastic objects.

    Recycled

    • Zoom Room is an environmentally friendly dog business that recycles dog products that have had little use, or spare food that dogs have turned their noses up at. They pass donations on to local dog shelters. Zoom Room is an expanding franchise with physical premises that are built out of recycled or renewable materials. Many online retailers sell dog products made out of recycled materials. You can buy collars and dog toys made from otherwise useless rubber tires as well as dog beds made from soda bottles.

    Animal Friendly

    • As an animal lover, you wouldn't want other animals to suffer in the making of your pet's supplies. Look for free-range alternatives to meaty treats, or products that don't involve an animal dying, like the elk antler chews.

    Locally Sourced

    • Look for dog products that are made in the U.S., cutting down on carbon footprints, while supporting the the U.S. economy and smaller manufacturers. Environmentally friendly dog product suppliers tend to source locally for these reasons.

    Herbal and Natural

    • You can buy a variety of herbal remedies and natural grooming products for your dog. Buy sulfate-free or herbal shampoos to keep unnecessary chemicals out of the environment when washing your dog. Alternatively, treat your dog to a sea kelp and green tea shampoo that will be good for his skin and repel any nasty bugs, while sticking to natural ingredients. Herbal skin treatments and flea powders are a natural alternative to chemical treatments, while you can keep your dog healthy with a wide range of natural supplements.

    Organic

    • Expect dog food and treats from these ecologically aware retailers to be organic and natural. You can rest assured that your dog isn't consuming nasty pesticides or unpleasant chemical preservatives, while knowing that the environment didn't suffer in their production.

    Biodegradable

    • Check that your product will be sent in biodegradable packaging. If the retailer is truly environmentally friendly, it should at least aim to reduce landfill from plastic bags. Many retailers sell biodegradable poop scoop bags, but BioBag claims to be the first to sell plastic poop bags that are 100 percent compostable as well as 100 percent biodegradable. Use resulting compost for bushes and shrubs, but not food plants or garden beds.