Nowhere is this more evident than when we are considering what is in the best interest of our pets, which would of course include their health and comfort levels.
However, as much as it is honorable to be good pet owners, it is also pertinent that we think about the effect of products that we purchase for these pets on the environment. There is thus a lot of waste that results from using pet toys, food containers, bedding, and grooming tools, among others.
Luckily, there are some interesting creations that are made to be environmentally friendly pet toys, which means that many companies are offering better materials for pets so that the options are green and good for everyone.
The Problem with Conventional Pet Toys
Most, if not all, of the pet toys manufactured in the past contain material such as plastic, synthetic fiber and sensitive dye that poses serious danger to the environment. These materials are ones that take a certain amount of energy and resources to be produced, and they harm the environment during the production process.
Also, the toys are disposable, reaching the point of becoming useless and broken; they are discarded, ending up in landfills where they may take centuries to degrade. Sometimes, pets are able to chew off small pieces of the toys and if these toys are broken, they can be ingested, which is dangerous.
The manufacturing of these toys may also involve the use of chemically loaded materials and nonrenewable resources, thereby expounding their impacts on the environment. While travelling, choosing a pet-friendly hotels where the facility uses environmentally friendly products is another way of cutting down the carbon footprint.
Eco-Friendly Materials: What to Look For
When comparing different pet toys for eco-friendliness, the materials used has to be taken into account. Avoid synthetic toys that contain chemicals that may harm your little one; opt for toys that are made from natural fabric, such as organic cotton, hemp, and natural rubber toys.
They are made from natural fabrics, and these are non-toxic, which means that your pet will be safe while using these products.
For example, hemp is a material that is very renewable, needs little watering and can even be grown without chemicals such as pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. It is also very strong; hence, it can be used in pet toys that are often dragged or tossed around. The second easy-to-find material is the natural rubber, which is obtained from rubber trees. It is strong and flexible and dissolves into the environment when discarded, unlike other rubber that is synthetic.
Also, some new products have the components being made from recycled materials, like recycled plastic bottles or used fabrics. They make it possible for other resources that would otherwise end up as waste to be of use again, hence decreasing the rate of consumption of new resources.
Durability and Longevity: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
One of the main components of sustainability is eco-efficiency, which is frequently attained by making the most of the things that have been purchased.
If parents or caregivers choose toys that are strong and can easily be used over and over, then the number of toys they will have to buy is small. This not only has the effect of saving money but also decreases the total costs of production, packing, transportation, etc. required for manufacturing a product.
Besides, when a toy gets damaged or used up, the best thing to do is to take it to the experts so that it can be repaired rather than getting a new one bought. Even the basic repairs, which involve sowing the edges of a ripped fabric toy or propping a stuffed toy with cotton wool, will make the toy last longer. And when it is time for genuine farewell, consider pet toys recycling, look for programs that collect these toys, or even consider ways on how we can reuse the toys.
Ethical Brands and Practices to be Supported
Besides the type of material and its wear resistance, it is vital to choose brands that practice ethical and sustainable approaches.
Most of the companies that manufacture pet toys from eco-friendly material are focused on making sure that they contribute as little as possible to environmental degradation right from the time they source their materials to the time they dispose of their products and use as little energy as possible in the process.
There is nothing wrong with buying goods that come packed in environmentally-friendly packaging, or those brands that support environmental causes or contribute towards environmental causes. In purchasing and using these products, you are not only deciding to feed your pets safely but also helping the society to save the environment as well.
Selecting eco-friendly pet toys are just some of the methods that can be taken so as to significantly lower the amount of waste that we make. To avoid getting bad toys with low quality and harm both for your pet and the environment, you should choose toys made from environmentally friendly materials or think about the toys’ durability and support brands that will use only environmentally friendly materials for their toys.
The point is that every tiny decision contributes to the overall result, and it is up to us whether we want a better world for our planet and other pets’ generations.
ASH CK