Considering the future of our planet has become an ever-increasing part of today’s society. Climate change, single-use plastic, sustainable energy, veganism and many other terms have encroached into the vocabulary of human beings. Words and ideals are being translated into action as more and more people make earth-friendly choices in their everyday lives. This trend is accelerating as the reality dawns that everyone needs to do their bit if we are to stall, or even reverse, the environmental impacts being seen across our planet.
So, what has this got to do with cats we hear you ask? Well, a fair bit actually.
The pet industry is a vast machine that churns out hundreds of thousands of products every year. We spend close to $110 billion a year to keep our pets happy, healthy and in good condition. We choose to spend this money because we want our pets to lead their best possible life, and who could argue with that? Sometimes, though, we should all take a step back and ask ourselves a few important questions:
1. Is this a well-made, quality product that will last more than a few months?
2. Is it made from sustainable or re-cycled materials?
3. Is it packaged sympathetically using sustainable materials?
4. Can it be re-cycled or re-purposed at the end of its useful life?
Of course, we all see a cheap plastic toy that we just can’t resist putting in our basket. These products will help to brighten up our pet’s day and a few hours of fun can be had which seems to make it all worthwhile. If that toy breaks and is thrown into the bin a few weeks later though, then is it still worth it? As a company, we’re passionate about sustainability and we only advocate that we each think carefully about the long-term impact of our purchasing decisions as much as the short-term gratification that they bring.
As consumers increasingly make decisions through the lens of environmental sustainability, so too do product producers need to consider their offering in that context. Thankfully, many firms are heeding the signs and creating innovative, new products that satisfy the needs of pets and their owners whilst remaining friendly to the global environment. We think this growing trend will become a mainstay in our society and that is the reason why we will always put sustainability at the heart of our business. Even now, we are working towards reducing our packaging by 20% and completely eradicating single-use plastic from all of our manufacturing processes. It’s a small start but many companies across the world are doing the same. As consumers, we should all start doing our bit too.
Footnote: If this topic interests you, we would recommend a fascinating book called The Animal Lover’s Guide to Changing the World by Stephanie Feldstein, Population and Sustainability Director at the Centre for Biological Diversity, USA.
