Eco-friendly Materials
Start at the source.
Durables
Durables, or hard goods, cover an array from pet dishes to crates. Though there is a more varied Eco-friendly selection to choose from in soft goods, the durables category appears to be growing, so one to check in on for new options over time.
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Bamboo:
This is where a benefit can also be a detriment. Bamboo is biodegradable, starting to break down in two years, if left to its own devices. Good for short-lived products and reducing landfill waste, but not so good for your pup’s new hammock you expect to last for some time. But, if treated (responsibly), it can last for 20 years or more. Perhaps not the best choice for young pups in their prime chewing years, but a nice option for the more mature companion.
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Stainless Steel:
Built to last, and last, and last. Stainless steel does not degrade and is 100% recyclable, making it a green product. If you decide to purchase your pup a shiny new stainless dinner dish, expect it to last a lifetime, barring any unforeseen circumstances. And, should you happen to drive off with it on the roof of your car and not appreciate the more rustic road-rash look, you can send it back around for creating something new and shiny again.
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Recycled Products:
Hand-me-downs may be the best “recycled” durable products at this point, reusing crates and dishes whenever possible. Just starting to emerge (or so it would appear): dishes and food storage containers, along with a few crates and houses, made from recycled steel and post-consumer use plastics.
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Upcycled Products:
Perhaps the most fun of all, it’s amazing to see people’s creativity come out in what they can upcycle into durable products for their pup. Cribs, cabinets, tables and more, all converted into attractive pieces of art to adorn the home and keep pup safely contained and comfortable. Dishes and toy boxes may be a slightly easier solve, but still leave room for individualism, such as skateboards converted into raised feeding trays (sans wheels, of course).
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Soft Goods
Soft goods offer the luxury of numerous Eco-friendly options to choose from, with many new innovations coming on the market.
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Bamboo:
Created from the cellulose fibers from natural bamboo, either from mechanical or chemical processes, bamboo soft goods come in many forms for pups, from the more common bed covers to clothes, to the slightly less common collars and toys. Ware the controversial processing; more to come on that topic.
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Hemp:
Natural, sustainable, much friendlier to the planet than cotton and used for textiles for thousands of years, hemp appears to be a much underused eco-friendly material. Considered to be the most eco-friendly material by some, this is where closed minds and poor educations come shining through in confusing hemp with marijuana. Good for the soils, using half the water that cotton takes, carbon negative, biodegradable and mechanically processed (thereby avoiding toxic chemicals that tend to negate green product production), hemp is a strong fiber that only gets better with age. A pup outfitted with hemp products will be happy, green, and, no, not high…except on a good pup life.
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Tencel:
Another plant derived material, lyocell, often sold under the brand name of Tencel™ is formed from the cellulose of hardwood trees, typically grown on responsibly managed tree farms. Advantages here are that trees are renewable resources, the chemicals used in processing are recycled, and the end products are often biodegradable. Though popular for people, this material is not quite yet appearing to be mainstream for pup products. Thus far we’re finding a few pieces of apparel and a rather cute pup tote for keeping a small friend close by in travels.
Plant Fibers:
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Flax:
Though not as soft as some of the other sustainable options, linen made from flax is an eco-friendly option that requires less water than cotton and is completely biodegradable (if not treated with chemicals). Production-friendly, all of the flax plant can be used for something, leaving no waste. A fabric that gets softer with time and washing, flax is touted to be stronger than other fabrics when wet, as well as not holding bacteria when wet (a benefit in more humid climates), as well as moth resistant. Considered a stylish fabric for people, it’s now making its way into stylish pup lives, as well, mostly for bed covers and a few dining placemats.
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Organic Cotton:
A greener alternative to traditional cotton, the organic designation comes (and must be certified) through being grown and harvested without GMOs or chemical pesticides. Organic cotton can be used alone or blended with other eco-friendly materials for end products such as clothes and bed covers. Growing cotton is very water intensive, however, as is producing fabrics from it, and the crop depletes the soil it is grown on, but it is biodegradable.
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Recycled Plastics:
Melt it down, spin it around and give plastic another go ‘round. Helping to diminish the vast amounts of plastics headed for the landfills and oceans, recycling of plastics into new products for pups proves to be a viable source of material for dog collars, cushioning for beds, blankets and even rain gear. While the strength of the fibers does start to break down with the recycling, often requiring mixing with new fibers for strength, and, no, the products still won’t biodegrade after they’ve gone ‘round all they can, it is a greener solution than going straight for the “new” plastic products.