It’s been a while since I’ve talked about how I live zero waste with my critters. I’ve had pets just about as long as I’ve been zero waste and I’ve learned a lot about how to live zero waste with dogs AND cats alike. So, let’s get into it! If I forget any, please let us know below.

NOTE: I am not a vet. This is all anecdotal experience from having a cat and a dog. Consult your vet as necessary.

DOGS

Compostable poop bags

If you’re going to buy new dog poop bags (let’s face it, it’s inevitable), you should opt for bioplastics. Even if they end up in the landfill? Yes! Why?

Well, bioplastics are less pollutive to create than oil-based plastics. Oil-derived plastics also still contribute to microplastic emissions. Bioplastics help reduce food waste, help reduce microplastics, and still reduce emissions during the manufacturing process.

No, you really should not compost your pet’s waste. If it ends up in someone’s garden, it could lead to the spread of disease such as E. Coli. Still send it to the landfill, even in the compostable bags. Learn more about bioplastics here!

Or use what you have

As much as you can, use plastic that you already have in your home: bread bags, grocery bags, chip bags, and so forth. It’s always more sustainable to reuse and repurpose than it is to buy something new. Yes, even when it comes to reusing plastic versus buying a sustainable option like bioplastics.

That plastic bread bag is likely to end up in the landfill anyway, so you might as well give it a second life before it gets there. Even if you have thin plastic recycling near you, the likelihood of it getting recycled is just 9%. This is a great way to live eco on a budget!

Shop for refillable pet food

Depending on how picky your pet is, you may be able to shop in bulk for their pet food! I’ve seen dog food at my local refill shop (tips for shopping at the bulk store in this video) and at WinCo, too. So, check around! You may even be able to check your local pet store or a chain pet store for refilling options.

Unfortunately, I have never seen this for other pet food, just dogs from my experience, which is why I put it in this category. More on food later!

Try DIY enrichment toys

I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t take a whole lot to entertain my food-motivated dog. Some of our favorite low-waste enrichment games are:

Scavenger Hunt: I hide bits of kibble or treats around the house, and Denahi has to sniff them out to get the reward
Towel Puzzle: Lay a small towel on the ground and sprinkle kibble or treats inside. Roll it up hot dog style and then twist it into a spiral. Let your dog figure out how to unwind it and get the treats out! I find this is a bit less destructive than the next ones…
Carboard Puzzles: You could use a toilet paper tube or an old box for this one. For the TP tube, you’ll have to push in the ends to kind of seal it up. For a cardboard box, just make sure your dog can actually open it. Place treats inside and let them figure out how to open it! The biggest con here is that they may just shred the cardboard and ingest it. Play at your own risk

And more! There are so many ideas online that prevent you from having to buy expensive enrichment toys that don’t last long and are a waste of new materials.

Try dog shampoo bars (for cats too)

That’s right, pets have shampoo bars, too! Shampoo bars are known to last around 3x longer than their bottled alternatives. Plus, they usually come with far less packaging, and oftentimes it’s plastic-free, too. And when you only bathe your pets on occasion, they will likely last your pets’ entire lifetime. What a great way to save money and waste!

Make your own dog food/treats

Dogs are super easy to make homemade food for if you have the time, space to store it, and they don’t have any dietary restrictions. I am not a professional, so I suggest looking up vet-recommended homemade food for your dogs. Cats can be trickier, which is why I’m not including this personally, but consult your vet and do what’s best for you!

Though I have always been a fan of making our own dog treats, as it is SUPER easy AND I can often use food waste! From holiday pumpkins to brown bananas, it’s so easy to whip up homemade dog treats with just a few plant-based ingredients like oats and peanut butter. You just need an oven on a low temperature and a baking sheet. No special equipment needed!

The most important thing is that you dehydrate the treats well enough that they won’t mold. Check out more ideas here.

Feed your dog food waste

If your dog isn’t picky, let them help you reduce food waste! Maybe your cats could help, too, but Mochi is too picky for me to be definitive on this!

From brown bananas that we freeze into little chunks as a tasty, cooling summer treat, to raw broccoli stems we serve up as “broccoli bones” to wrinkly peppers, bruised apples, beet leaves, floppy carrots, and more, Denahi loves to help us reduce what we send to the landfill or even compost. Yes, it’s better for someone to eat that food than it is to compost it. Plus, fruit and veg are a great vitamin addition to our pets’ diets!

Of course, don’t feed your pet anything rotten, and always consult your vet or a trusted source if you have concerns. In the worst-case scenario, check the internet before feeding your pet something new!

But, other animals are also great for this if you have critters beyond dogs: goats, pigs, chickens, rabbits, tortoises, and worms if you’re a worm composter ;) Always check to make sure the food is safe for these animals!

CATS

Ditch clay litters

Clay litters are equally as bad for you and your pets as they are for the planet. Clay litters often contain silica, which can be harmful to inhale. Plus, they require energy intensive, harmful strip mining to extract this clay from the earth. It scars the landscapes and requires more energy to process it and package it in wasteful plastic containers. Yikes!

Instead, opt for something less harmful to your household and the planet, such as Oko Cat, which is made from reclaimed wood, Exquisicat litter made from pine cobble, sWheat Scoop litter made from wheat, or other plant-based litters. Many of these also come in paper bags, double win!

Reuse plastic for litter bags

When it comes to scooping cat litter, the same goes for the dogs above: use what you have or opt for bioplastics! I use bread bags, tortilla bags, and plastic shopping bags to scoop cat litter. When I run out, my go-to for our small litter trash can (which we found in the trash lol) is bioplastic bags from Hold On. I really don’t have much else to add here that we didn’t talk about before!

Make your own cat scratchers!

Mochi runs through cardboard cat scratchers like no other, and they get EXPENSIVE! I’ve seen them anywhere from $8-20, and the store-bought ones don’t last that long, and they shred cardboard bits all over the house.

Instead, I bet you have a stash of cardboard lying around; we all do. Use that stash to make your own cat scratcher! I have tried many styles, from round ones to rectangular ones to attempting to make ones without glue, but I always go back to the round version. Check out my how-to video here!

Grow your own catnip/grass

I grew catnip for a short while in Las Vegas. It was only a short while cause Mochi ate it too fast! She loved it more than the dried stuff; it grows super easily, and super quickly as well. If you can keep your cats off of it until it matures, it’s a great way to give your cats their favorite treat sustainably, and it will save you money over time as it regrows!

Or shop for it plastic-free

I haven’t tried it since then. After that, I just started buying Mochi catnip in cardboard. It’s fully organic and zero waste, and it’s filled to the brim. I find we really get our money’s worth with this brand! We only buy 1-2 containers per year, and I love that it lowers our collective impact on the planet while still being able to give Mochi one of her favorite treats.

GENERAL

Thrift your supplies

If you just got a new pet or you’re in the market, look for pet supplies secondhand! I see so many items from leashes and harnesses to bowls and toys and pet beds at thrift stores, on Facebook marketplace, and also on my local Buy Nothing Group. Even if you already have pets, maybe you need a new water dish or toy; see what you can find secondhand!

Secondhand doesn’t mean dirty and old, and worn out. Sometimes people donate brand new items that you can now give new life to for a fraction of the cost and environmental impact. Learn more about the benefits of thrifting here.

I’ve always loved thrifting dog “toys.” My mom’s dogs tear up toys like no other. I’d rather give them a $1 stuffed toy from the thrift store than a $20 marketed dog toy that will last just as long. Avoid toys with beads in them to prevent mess and choking!

Donate old items

In return, donate your old items. Perhaps you have an extra water bowl you realized you never used, or your pet who has passed on has old toys that are still in good condition, give them away to someone else to put to good use. You have a few options here:

Your local thrift store (avoid the big chains, here’s why)
Your local Buy Nothing Group
Your local animal shelter! Always call in advance. Not all shelters will take every single item, or they may not be accepting donations at this time. Also, note that they often accept your old towels and bedding, so you can donate more than just pet supplies!
Anything in good condition, you can try reselling if you want!

Mend toys

If you have aggressive players, give their toys a mend before sending them to the landfill. Save the stuffing, add it back, sew holes shut, and let the playing continue. Yes, your pet’s toys may become a little creepy and decrepit doing this, but, hey, pets don’t care about aesthetics. They just care about playing, so help them to play with their favorite toys for even longer and save yourself some money in the long run. The longer you keep that toy out of the landfill, the longer you can go without buying something new!

If the toys are made of fabric, you may also be able to send them to textile recycling, also, instead of the landfill. Always double-check, as some places may not accept this!

Can’t do it yourself? Try Gone to the Dogs. You can send back your damaged toys, and they will repair them!

Make toys out of trash

Many of the pet toys in our home are made from “trash.” Again, pets don’t care about aesthetics and these are honestly some of their favorites!

For Denahi, our dog, I tied an old tennis ball inside an old knee-high sock. This is great for gnawing, fetch, and tugging alike!

For Mochi, she gets all my leftover scraps from making tshirt rugs (here’s my tutorial for making tshirt yarn). The hems are often hard to work with, so I keep them in long strips, and she loves to chase them around. She also gets any yarn scraps and honestly loves to bat around a toilet paper tube every now and then.

When you need to buy new, shop small and opt for natural products

It’s inevitable we need to buy something new for our pets every now and again, from shampoo to toys or a new leash if you can’t find one secondhand. So, when you do need to shop new, shop small! I love to support my local pet store over a large chain. Shopping small is inherently better for the planet! If I can’t find it there, I opt for small online pet retailers like The Kind Pet. They carry just about anything you’d need, and it’s all 100% eco-friendly. Check them out (use code EMMA10)!

Use leftover pet water to water plants

When their water is a little stale or dirty, don’t throw it down the drain! Give it to your plants instead. Conserve water and save money before giving your pets a refill. Outdoor and indoor plants alike don’t mind that their water isn’t filtered and pristine. Check out more ways to conserve water here.

Ditch the subscription boxes

Bark Box and other similar pet boxes are extremely wasteful…and expensive! Does your pet really need several new toys per month? Maybe they do really abuse their toys, and they run low. As we discussed before, try shopping secondhand for cheap toys that they can rip up with less consequence to the planet and your wallet.

I also recommend you invest your money in more durable toys that last longer. This WILL save you money over the long run!

Pet subscription boxes are gimmicky and low-quality. They are not made to last and contribute to plastic pollution.

Recycle what you can

From wet food cans (the most recyclable pet item) to paper food bags to plastic or cardboard litter tubs and boxes, recycle as much as you can. Yes, I know, I said earlier how poor our recycling system is. But recycling is STILL better than the landfill.

But be sure to also recycle! Many “paper” bags are lined with plastic that needs to be removed. Plastic handles from cardboard litter boxes need to be removed. Wet food cans should be rinsed before adding to your bin. Check out more recycling tips here and recycle as much as you can!

Try upcycled pet treats!

Yes, homemade pet treats are an option as we talked about before, but I can’t always make them homemade, and I’m sure you can’t either. So, support brands that are making pet treats out of food waste like Shameless Pets! They specialize in turning produce deemed not suitable for grocery store shelves (oddly shaped, too small, too big, etc) and turning them into dog treats, safe dental sticks, and catnip-infused cat treats. It’s no surprise that Denahi loves them; he’s the least picky dog I’ve ever met. But Mochi is extremely picky, and she BEGS for these treats. Give them a try!

Put pet fur outside or compost it

If you’re brushing or grooming your pet, either do it outside or put their hair outside when you’re done. Their fur is fully compostable, so you can add it right to your compost pile or let the wind take it somewhere for the birds to use. It’s better than it ending up in the landfill after all!

Rotate out their toys to keep the interest up

Thanks to Jessica Hayes on YouTube for this idea! Pets have little-to-no object permanence, but also get bored easily. Solve the boredom problem with their inability to remember things when they hide away! Put a toy they deem uninteresting in a cabinet or closet for a time, and when they get bored with another toy, swap it out! The old, hidden toy will feel new to your pet, and this will prevent you from having to buy toys so frequently.

Upcycle and Reuse

Just like with your human items, see what pet items you can reuse in creative ways! We keep old pill bottles to refill for traveling, cat litter tubs are great for organization, and empty food bags can be reused as trash bags. Even if these things end up in the landfill or recycling eventually, it’s great to prolong that and give the item new life!

Reusable cleaning rags

Pet messes are inevitable. I have to admit, I don’t always use reusables. When it comes to picking up larger chunks, yeah, I’m going to use disposables. When I do, I opt for recycled or bamboo toilet paper or paper towels. Some of my favorite brands are Who Gives a Crap and Reel.

But as much as I can, for smaller messes especially, I use reusable cleaning rags paired with eco-friendly cleaners. This cuts costs over the long run and prevents resources from being used. Yes, it’s always better to reuse than it is to use even the most sustainable disposable products!

At the end of the day, do what you gotta do. Our dog is elderly and has become reliant on several medications now. I don’t sweat the waste that comes with that. We had a flea infestation a few months ago, and we took every measure we could to rid ourselves of fleas as fast as possible. Yes, that meant a lot of vacuuming (energy usage) and lots of plastic bottles of natural flea remedies. We still try our best, don’t get me wrong, but if your pet needs a certain medication, or certain shampoo, or certain food, and it’s “wasteful,” don’t sweat it.

Just like for yourself, make changes elsewhere. For example, if your pet relies on a certain food that comes in plastic bags that you can’t recycle, find ways to reuse them and make your pet’s life more sustainable in other ways, such as mending their toys and reusing plastic bags from your home for their waste.

It’s not about perfection, it’s about doing our best. Your pet should not have a sad life for the sake of the planet. Of course, there is a line. That is not an excuse to be as wasteful as possible! Shop small, use what you have, and simply try your best without putting the weight of the world on your shoulders.

Thanks so much for reading along. I truly appreciate your time. I’ll catch you in the next post, but until then, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)

Emma

How to Live Sustainably With Pets