Earth Day is a great time for all of us to stop and evaluate our impact on the environment. A lot can be done to conserve and recycle in your home to reduce your family’s environmental impact, which includes your pet’s environmental pawprint.

Celebrate this Earth Day by going green at home or doing a fun, nature-based, low carbon footprint activity with your pet.

Go green at home

Recycle

Recycling is a great way to help reduce the impact your pet has on the environment. When you think of all of the packaging that pet food, treats, and toys come in, it’s easy to see right away that purchasing in bulk or choosing products with recyclable packaging can be a way to “go greener” with your pet.

If your pet eats canned food and you have a recycling program in your area, rinse and dry the cans, then recycle. Some food companies have also switched to recyclable or compostable bags for their products. If the bag you’re using has a plastic liner inside, you can’t recycle it, but you can reuse it to dispose of yard waste. Always check the bag for instructions on how to dispose of it, and commit to this disposal habit that goes one step further in protecting pets and wildlife.

Donate

Do you have old blankets and towels that you no longer use? Consider donating them to your local animal shelter. Not only are you keeping these items out of a landfill, but you’re helping out a great local organization and helping to keep animals comfortable during a potentially scary time.

Use Eco-Friendly Products

There are a variety of eco-friendly products for pets that you can use. When purchasing new pet supplies, choose biodegradable, all-natural, or recyclable products, if available.

Some examples of more eco-friendly pet products include:

• Biodegradable poop bags. Not all bags that claim “biodegradable” are, so do some research before choosing.
• Recyclable or sustainably sourced toys – to start, look for companies that are B-Corp registered.
• Plant-based cleaning products (some of which come in recyclable packaging)
• Recyclable containers and pet food packaging
• Hemp leashes and collars

Pet-friendly Earth Day activities

Another great way to commemorate Earth Day is to take your pet along for the celebration!

Get outside

Head out for a walk with your pet — even cats can get in on the fun! Along the way, you can pick up any trash that you see to leave the environment better than you found it. And speaking of “picking up,” don’t forget the (biodegradable) poop bags.

Plant a tree

Another activity you can try is to plant a tree in your backyard that your pet will enjoy lounging under during warm days. If you don’t have a yard (or room for any more trees), you can donate a tree in honor of your pet through the Arbor Day Foundation.