How to Live Zero Waste with Pets // Eco Living with Dogs and Cats

I’ve made a similar video in the past, but since then, I’ve learned a lot and thought of new ideas. That being said, go check out my first iteration, but also, I will likely repeat some of the ideas. And thank you to everyone who answered my question on Instagram and inspired some of these ideas.

My first tip when it comes to living low waste with pets is, if you’re going to be buying brand new items like a pet bed, collars, toys, and so forth, opt for eco-friendly materials such as this natural-fiber cat bed from today’s sponsor, The Kind Pet. The creators Jen and Laura sought to create a zero-waste pet store, but like many of us, realize how impossible the idea of zero waste is. So, they wanted to create a realistic sustainably-sourced pet store that doesn’t have a one size fits all model. They carry plastic-free, biodegradable, and organic options for your pet to reduce their carbon paw print. They source only from Canada and the USA to reduce their overall shipping emissions footprint as well as to support the local economy and support small businesses.

You can shop The Kind Pet on your own personal eco values. Their website is sorted so you can choose the value that means the most to you such as plastic free, compostable, organic, and so forth. Each product also lists the ingredients, materials use, and even how to dispose of the product once you can’t use it anymore. I love that they not only think about the beginning of life for these eco products but also about how we can mindfully dispose of them. They really go full circle.

Their packaging is entirely plastic free and is a member of the Pet Sustainability Coalition. Right now, they are also donating 1% of every sale to Pro-Choice America and 0.5% of every sale to the Best Friends Animal Society.

You can shop anything you may need to live eco-friendly while having pets right now with The Kind Pet and if you use my link, you can support my work as well.

But, let’s say you’re not into buying new products, my second tip is to shop second-hand for your pets as well! Things like food and water bowls, harnesses, and leashes I see all the time at goodwill. You can also thrift pillows and blankets to use as pet beds/bedding instead of buying brand-new ones. After all, it’s just going to quickly become covered in pet hair anyway ;)

You can also simply use what you already have. My animal’s large water bowl, while technically wasn’t something I already had, it was something one of my neighbors already had and I scooped it out of the trash on bulk trash day. We also made Mochi’s first cat tree out of materials we already had in our craft closet instead of buying brand new. Speaking of cats, my cat plays with anything. In fact, she prefers toilet paper tubes and old hair ties to expensive, plasticky store-bought toys anyway.

This leads me to my next time, upcycled and DIY items for your pets. Especially if you’re crafty, you can easily crochet a pet bed from upcycled T-shirts (check out my video on how to make T-shirt yarn here). I’ve also used T-shirts and other textile waste into stringy cat toys and tied them only sticks I found in my neighborhood. My dog also has some upcycled toys like these socks that had holes in them to make perfect tug toys.

Ditch the toy subscription boxes. I even forget what it’s called off the top of my head, but does your dog really need 5 new toys each month? This can save you money and many many items from ending up in the landfill. As I already said, mend the toys you do have and thrift new ones instead.

Let’s move on to everyone’s most desired topic: poop. Hey, we gotta talk about it. Let’s first talk cat litter. I’ve seen people on the internet train their cats to use the toilet. If you have the time and your cat is a quick learner, this can be a very low-waste way to handle cat poop. If not, no worries, I have options for you, too (and me). Stay away from clay litter. It is often not sustainably sourced. They must be mined which can be very energy intensive. Instead, opt for something like Oco Cat that I found at my local Sprouts (before they quit carrying it) which is made from reclaimed wood, or this relatively eco cat litter blend from Tidy Cats made from cedar, pine, and corn. I’m not sure if it’s recycled or reclaimed plant materials, but it is a step up from clay in my opinion. My only advice is to wean your cat onto this if they are used to clay.

Now, onto dog poop. I love the idea of reusing bags from my everyday life. I find produce bags in the parking lot of my local sprouts so I take them home to use as free poop bags. Also, bags from chips, newspapers, tortillas, bread, bagels, and so forth are long and easy to tie and make great poop bags. I mean, you’re going to throw them away anyway, might as well give them another chance to be used!

You can also opt for biodegradable poop bags like these from The Kind Pet. These are made purely of plants. Sure, they’re going to end up in the landfill anyway, but the process of creating bioplastics is much less harmful than creating oil-based plastics. You can learn more about that in this video about bioplastics. When using a bioplastic dog poop bag, look at the ingredients.

Oftentimes, companies will still make them out of plastic and add chemicals that help it break down “faster.” This is greenwashing which you can learn more about here (and download my free guide to spotting greenwashing here). I’m currently working on a “does it decompose” miniseries on TikTok to see if these two brands actually decompose in my backyard so follow me over there for updates, but for now, check out this video on Pet n Pet compostable poop bags and how they break down in my back yard.

Repair your pet’s items as well. Mochi has had this same cat tree since we first got her AND we found it in the trash because it was well-worn. I wrap it with new twine once or twice a year and it’s good to go for her scratching needs. Denahi is also a serial toy killer so I restuff them and sew them closed so that he can keep chewing them without me having to buy new ones. Which, my mom taught me this trick, if he does need new toys, we just get thrift store stuffed animals. The ones with stuffing and no beads so it doesn’t make a mess.

Opt for natural shampoo bars. That’s right, I said shampoo bars for your PETS! I’ve seen many brands carry it to include Ethique, the Earthling Co, and also handmade ones on Etsy. Shampoo bars typically last as many as 3 bottles of product and are shipped with much less energy and packaging since it is water free.

Some pet stores offer pet food and even cat litter in bulk! My local WinCo also sells pet food in bulk. Of course, this depends on your pet. My dog is not picky but my cat is so it’s more likely that my dog will enjoy the bulk food. You can reduce a lot of packaging this way. But, if you don’t have bulk options near you, you can opt for pet food in paper instead. My cat was addicted to meow mix for the longest time and I was fine with it since it was a paper bag. Well, paper lined with plastic. It was very easy to remove the plastic, though, so that the paper could be recycled correctly. I explain more in this TikTok and if you want to learn more about recycling, you can watch this YouTube series.

But, my current dog food and cat food come in plastic bags. It’s not the end of the world though, just reuse it! I reuse them as trash can liners and secure them with an upcycled rubber band from asparagus or broccoli. This reduces the number of trash bags I need to buy and ensures this bag gets some more life before being thrown out. You can also cut them up and make an eco-brick, more info here, or some pet food bags you can recycle through TerraCycle, learn more about their recycling here.

Speaking of recycling correctly, be sure you’re recycling litter boxes correctly! I have always gotten my cat litter in cardboard boxes. This is recyclable, but not as it is. Most likely, there are still litter crumbs inside and the handle is most likely plastic. So, open it up, shake out the debris, and remove the plastic handle before placing it inside your recycling bin. But, maybe you get cat litter in plastic tubs. While these are most likely recyclable, they are also easily reusable! They can be reused for sand castle buckets, storing water, garage organization, or holding toys. Maybe even deck it out as a trick-or-treat tub!

Don’t forget about your pet food tins as well! Wash them out completely and let them fully dry. Don’t forget to also remove the paper labels before placing in your recycling bin. Placing dirty cans in your bin can contaminate more of your recyclables and render your whole bin nonrecyclable.

Did you know pet poop is technically compostable? Now, before you start, hear me out first. Don’t use their compost in your garden! Just like regular manure from cows and pigs and chickens, feces carry diseases. Use this compost instead on your landscaping or other plants you will not be consuming. You can mix it in with your normal compost or start a “pet waste only” compost pile/bin. Now you can skip the dog poop bags entirely!

When buying new items like food and water bowls, litter scoops, and so forth, try to find them in metal instead. Plastic is cheap, but can crack easily AND may be hard to recycle. Glass is great but very breakable and we don’t want our pets getting hurt. Metal is a great option that is durable, lighter than glass, and easily recyclable. Plus, I see them allllll the time at thrift stores.

Grow your own cat grass and cat nip! I found seeds in the paper for just a couple of dollars each, a bag of soil for less than $5, and upcycled things like cookie dough and coffee containers to grow it in. Mine has since died in the Vegas heat so I will take it back up again in the fall, but this was cheap, I got to upcycle some things, and now I never have to buy these again in plastic!

You can make your own dog treats, too. I’m no expert, I just consult the internet for recipes, but my favorite, low-waste dog treat is frozen bananas. These bananas were browning on my counter and I didn’t want to throw them away or compost them, and once they’re frozen, they last a long time. These are perfect, food waste-preventing dog treats for summer. I also love these dog treats from The Kind Pet as they are made from food waste in the beer industry.

Feed your dog food waste! Wait, hear me out. Things like broccoli stems, beet greens, and other produce that is about to go bad. Of course, always consult a reliable source and ask your vet before doing this, but most produce is safe for dogs. Whenever I forget a pepper in my produce drawer or try a new variety of apples I ended up not liking, Denahi gets some healthy additions to his kibble. He also helps me reduce my compost pile by eating broccoli and cauliflower stems! I got lucky with a dog who's not picky haha.

Just got a puppy? Get them an adjustable collar so that you don’t have to buy so many over their lifetime. It will grow as they grow! For an added bonus, get one that is recycled or made from natural materials instead of oil-based plastic.

Don’t dump their dirty water down the drain! Pour it on your plants instead. And check out this video for more tips on conserving water. Ever since moving to the desert in a drought, I don’t waste ANY water. But, you don’t have to live in a drought region to use this tip, any amount of water conservation matters.

That’s it! Be sure to check out the first iteration here for MORE low waste with pets tips. If you have any tips that I forgot, please leave them down below to spread the knowledge and help the rest of us live even MORE eco-friendly lives with pets.

Thanks for reading along, I appreciate your time, and as always, remember that your small actions have a big impact in the long run

Emma