How your pet can go plastic-free
My almost-plastic-free pooch Apple with her new all-natural rope toy by Native Pet Supply. Image by Ashleigh Stallard for Shift
When it comes to our footprint on the planet, it’s often said that having a child and owning a pet are two of the biggest impacts we can have, particularly when it comes to carbon emissions.
But there are some really easy ways we can reduce our pets’ ‘paw-print’ just as we make shifts in our own lives.
I’ve been working on a few simple ways my pooch Apple can be her own little greenie, including:
Installing a pet-poop-only composter in the backyard. Check out the post with Bokashi EnsoPet Composter (complete with photos of Apple ‘helping’ with the installation!). Now I only need compostable doggie bags when we’re out walking.
Choosing Australian-made natural pet food, like Scratch, or making your own! (my next challenge).
Finding dog treats that are loose & plastic-free like pigs’ ears and chews. The pet shop I get Apple’s food from has a few options, as does the vet’s clinic.
Switching to a solid bar shampoo soap suitable for dogs. I use a scent-free bar by Washpool Skin Wellness (handmade in rural Queensland too) which uses neem oil to help calm skin.
Op shopping for things like toys and water bowls, and making tug toys myself using hardy materials found at the op shop, like a karate belt or twill cotton (think work-wear fabric).
Apple with Sofi, waiting for their package-free treats, handmade and bought in bulk!
Did you know so many conventional dog toys contain plastic? Even the woven rope ones often use synthetic fibres (and likely strange, toxic dyes too), and just like with our synthetic clothes, these break away and become microfibres, which our pets can swallow too.
This is something Australian company Native Pet Supply is aiming to change - starting with natural pet toys and with big plans to expand into natural, plastic-free, non-toxic and safe pet products. Hooray!
I caught up with Native Pet Supply founder and dog owner Brent Vrdoljak to find out why the pet industry needs a plastic-free shake-up - and what they plan to do about it!
What led you to start a natural pet supply company - what is your background, and what need did you see?
My day job is in marketing, I'm a brand manager for an eco cleaning brand so I spend a lot of my time talking about sustainability.
I'm really passionate about building products and brands that are better for our environment, and I'm fascinated by the stage we're at in the world right now. I truly believe we can't go on creating so much waste, and I think there's a big opportunity for new companies with new ideas to shake things up.
I love dogs, and when I realised most of my dog’s toys were made from plastics, I thought there was an opportunity to change that.
Why do you think it's important pet toys are made using natural materials as opposed to the traditional hard plastics and synthetic materials?
I think most people would be shocked to know that their dogs toys are made from petroleum-based plastics like polyethylene, nylon and polypropylene.
To me, it seems silly to use chemicals and oil (that create a bunch of carbon emissions) to make pet products. Particularly when they are often chewed up quickly, disposed of and go on to live in landfill for hundreds of years.
“It makes a lot more sense to grow plants - that capture carbon - and create products that will return to the earth when they're disposed of. I love the idea that it's a closed loop that has a much lighter footprint.”
Apple and her new Knot Bone natural rope toy by Native Pet Supply
What are your toys made from, what are the sustainable sources?
One of the core attributes of our brand is "plastic free" - which actually covers a huge amount of materials. So by starting out with what we don't want, we had a smaller list of materials to choose from.
Thankfully, there are a lot of great materials that come from the earth! We tested so many versions of bamboo, hemp, sisal and other options, but ultimately landed on cotton for our Natural Rope range. Our cotton is unbleached and not dyed, and grown on sustainable farms.
Your mission is to change the pet industry to create a better future - you’ve got a big vision! What are your plans to help make the pet industry sustainable?
We want to prove that business can be used as a force for good. So aside from just using better materials, we also donate 5% of the sales value from every sale to the Australian Marine Conservation Society.
“The idea is that we can run a commercial business that not only operates to meet market demand, but gives back to communities and our environment.”
So that plays a big role, but also generating awareness. If we lead by example, hopefully established companies will look more closely at their materials and implement changes. And people (and dogs!) will become more aware and hopefully more vocal to demand better practices!
Duchess the dog getting some time with the new Knot Bone natural rope toy.
There are a few new products in the works at the moment, but the ultimate goal is to expand into other categories outside just toys.
We really love having a one-to-one relationship with our customers, because we get great feedback and have interesting discussions. But longer term, it would be fantastic to expand distribution into traditional retail channels too, as ultimately we want to make as big of an impact as possible!
What is your favourite part about doing what you do?
I really enjoy strategy and planning - working on the next product range and putting together plans for the future. But I also love interacting with customers and getting photos of their dogs, that's always super exciting.
So who is your ‘Chief barketing officer’?
Be sure to follow Kygo, my Finnish Lapphund!
He's just turned two years old and he is just the best. He has inspired a lot of the thoughts and efforts that's gone into this project so far.