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Helping Your Pets Live Greener & Cleaner
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, consider switching from a clay-based litter to a biodegradable litter, such as ökocat. By switching to a biodegradable litter, you can cut down on the estimated 2 million tons of clay litter that end up in landfills. If you brave you can also try teaching your cat to use the toilet. It sounds crazy but cats can accurately be trained to use a toilet. Kits are available that help you guide your cat through the process. It may be a lot of work at first but think about never having to clean a litter box again? Now if we could just teach them to flush!
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 such as hemp. Environmentally friendly hemp can be used to make almost everything, like leashes, collars, beds and toys. Purchase eco-friendly grooming products, like my favorite reef-safe pet shampoo VetDerm Solutions Pet Shampoo. Buying green products is easy. Nowadays, eco-friendly pet products can be found at large pet retailers across the country.
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.
