You drive a hybrid and bring your own bags to the grocery store. You care about greenhouse gases and your carbon footprint. What about your pet’s carbon pawprint? Is your pet living a green, eco-friendly life? April 22nd is Earth Day. What can you do this Earth Day to make sure that your pets are living green too?

Waste Management
Anyone who has ever had a pet knows that they create lots of waste. It is estimated that 10 million tons of waste from pets fill landfills yearly. What can you do to help?  Instead of using plastic bags to pick up and dispose of your pet’s waste, try using recycled biodegradable pet poop bags. If you want to be even more eco-friendly, get an in-ground waste disposal system. What you might ask? In-ground waste disposal systems are essentially miniature septic systems that allow you to dispose of your pet’s waste right in your back yard. There are several companies that sell kits you can buy to create your own environmentally-friendly dog waste disposal system. If you have a cat, switch from a clay-based litter to a biodegradable litter to cut down on the estimated 2 million tons of clay litter that end up in landfills yearly.

Give A Hoot, Don’t Pollute
Always pick-up after your pet and follow the backpacker’s motto of leaving only footprints (or paw prints) behind. Besides being inconsiderate, leaving your pet’s waste behind can pollute water sources when runoff washes into streams and lakes.

Buy Green
Purchase pet beds, furniture and toys made from recycled or sustainable materials. My dog Oski (and cats) love the Petlinks Supreme Soother bed. In addition to being soft and cozy, it is extremely eco-friendly. The cushion is filled with reclaimed memory foam scraps and the bolster with fiber made from recycled plastic water bottles. Now your pet gets a comfy bed while you keep plastic bottles and memory foam scraps out of landfills. If your cats love to scratch, like mine, they will enjoy Petlink’s Scratcher Choice+. This scratcher is made from recycled cardboard so you’ll love it because its eco-friendly, but your cats will love it because it is actually impregnated with cat nip! The scratcher is basically a big “scratch and sniff” toy for cats. SmartyKat also makes cat toys like the Skitter Critters whose filling is made of recycled bottles and they have the #1 selling organic catnip in the US. As a certified organic product, they use no pesticides or fertilizers that could contaminate the environment – it’s better for your cat, your family and the earth.
The Petlinks Supreme Soother Gel Memory Foam bed, Petlinks Scratchers Choice, Smartykat Skitter Critters, and SmartyKat Organic Catnip are available online. 

In addition to buying products made from recycled materials, you can buy products made from sustainable materials. Environmentally friendly hemp can be used to make almost everything, like leashes, collars, beds and toys.

Buy in Bulk
Buying pet food and pet supplies in bulk not only saves money, it also conserves fuel and lowers emissions by saving you extra trips to the store. It also saves time so you don’t have to go to the store as often.

Pet Overpopulation
Make sure your pet isn’t adding to the pet over-population problem by having your pets spayed or neutered.

Adopt a Shelter Pet
Don’t forget about your local animal shelter if you are thinking about getting a pet. There are lots of “recycled pets” that need a good home. While adopting one of these deserving pets may not lower emissions or save fuel, it can save a life.

By adopting these simple tips, you and your pet can live green and make the planet a better place.