Yahoo Finance Taking care of your pets and the planet has never been easier
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Caring for the environment and loving animals should go paw in paw, which is why pet parents should be extra conscious about sustainable living, specifically when it comes to caring for their furry friends. Luckily, Green Living host Lauren Singer (@trashisfortossers) has plenty of sustainable pet care tips that are easy to implement into you and your pet’s daily routine.
Be More Eco-Conscious About Buying Toys
“We want our pets to have the best, but do they really need 50 toys?” asks Singer. “And if they do, can they be more environmentally friendly?” Instead of purchasing plastic chew toys for your dog, Singer suggests opting for items made from natural materials, like the Boba&Vespa Cotton Rope Dog Toy.
Plastic dog toys break down into tiny pieces when they’re played with, and those pieces end up in a trash bin, and ultimately in a landfill, according to Singer. Purchasing more durable, eco-friendly toys is not only safer for your dog, but it’ll ensure that you won’t have to frequently replace your pup’s favorite toys.
Make Your Own Pet Food
According to Singer, a lot of dog food is packaged in large, plastic bags that often aren’t recyclable. Instead of purchasing these bags, Singer has been making homemade food for her dog, Rose, for the past four years. “Not only does [Rose] love it, but it’s also completely zero-waste because I can compost everything I need to make it.” In addition to being environmentally friendly, Singer claims that making her own dog food has saved her hundreds of dollars per year.
Singer’s zero-waste dog food recipe features chicken and a plenty of fresh vegetables, including carrots, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and peas. When serving your delicious dish to your pup, make sure to use a ceramic or metal bowl, as plastic bowls can cause harmful BPA to leak into your pet’s food and water.
Deal With Waste Sustainably
According to Singer, pets in America produce 1.5 million tons of waste each year. “If that were all thrown in the trash it would rival the total trash production of Massachusetts,” Singer tells In The Know. Singer suggests eliminating the use of single-use and non-compostable plastic bags when cleaning up your pet’s waste, and using compostable bags instead. For cat owners, Singer suggests looking into corn-based litters as an alternative to clay-based litters.
Additionally, Singer recommends researching ways to compost your pet’s waste or even flushing it down the toilet, as opposed to sending it off to a landfill.
The post Taking care of your pets and the planet has never been easier appeared first on In The Know.
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