Pets vs. Plastics: Helpful Tips to Minimize Plastic in Your Pet’s Life

Plastics are as much a part of your pet's life as they are of yours. Every day, your pet comes into contact with plastics whether from their toys, food bowls, collar, or even bedding as outlined in EARTHDAY.ORG's latest report - Pets Vs. Plastics." And it's no wonder, plastics are convenient, inexpensive and able to provide the wide variety of options that we've become accustomed to. However, it's no secret that plastics are dangerous to the environment as well as our own health and the health of our pets. If you're looking to decrease the amount of plastic in your pet's life, here are some helpful tips to move your pet towards a minimal plastic existence.

The Issues with a Plastic Pet World

First off, why go as plastic-free as possible for your pet? There are many reasons besides the fact that plastics are bad for the environment. As more and more research is done, it has become clear that plastics aren't innate objects that we can use, abuse and toss at our convenience. Instead, they have lasting effects, such as polluting the ocean, piling up in landfills, and even potentially poisoning our bodies.

For our pets specifically, not only do the plastic products we use for our pets ultimately wind up thrown away, they can present problems while still in use.

• Ingestion: One of the most obvious but maybe not thought of issues unless you've experienced it first hand is when a pet ingests plastic. Yes, it does happen! We all know an over-achiever chewer or an inquisitive mouth that isn't afraid of putting plastic toys, bowls, or bedding into their bodies. The chunks of plastic that get eaten can not only cause damage in the way of broken teeth and lacerations or punctures to the digestive tract, they can also become lodged in there, creating an emergency situation.
• Leaching: Even if your pet would prefer to keep plastic products outside their body, it doesn't mean they're completely safe. Chemicals from plastics, such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, can leach out of plastic and potentially into your pet. Chew toys, food bowls and even pet food packaging all have the potential to transfer these chemicals into your pet's body where they can create all sorts of disruptions, including cancer. All your pet has to do is chew on their toys or eat their pet food to be exposed.
• Microplastics: On top of chemicals, plastic tends to shed tiny particles of itself as it degrades overtime. These tiny particles are called microplastics and can enter a pet's body through ingestion or inhalation. Polyester bedding and collars are big contributors as they can release little plastic particles that then get into your pet's important systems.
• Bacteria: Plastics aren't indestructible, so even minor chewing or scratching can cause damage in the form of holes, bite marks, or gouges that can be difficult to clean. Any area that can't be thoroughly cleaned can't be disinfected, often allowing bacteria to run a muck.

How to Decrease Your Pet's Plastic Experience

Your pet's main areas of plastic exposure are toys, bowls, bedding and food. Fortunately, there are plastic-free alternatives for all of these main products. When given the choice, always choose a natural product over the plastic version.

• Toys: Plastic toys may seem great in that they come in so many colors, shapes, sizes, and textures, but so do most natural products. Look for chew toys made from natural rubbers, tug toys made from hemp or cotton rope, stuffed toys made from bamboo, wool or cotton fibers, scratching toys made from hemp or cardboard, and structural trees or perches made from wood. Your pets likely won't care if these natural products are less colorful and may even prefer the textures.
• Food bowls: The hands down winner for plastic-free food and water bowls is stainless steel. It is easy to clean, near indestructible and long lasting. But, if you can't stand the metallic pinging sound it can make when your pet is eating or drinking or if you want something with a little more flair, another good option would be ceramic.
• Bedding: As far as bedding goes, every pet has their personal preferences. Fortunately, you can often find a plastic-free product that fits their sometimes-persnickety needs. Rather than a polyester fabric, go for something of the cotton variety. Bamboo and wool are other good options. Canvas can also be used if your pet needs a bit more durability rather than snuggliness.
• Collars/leashes: Yep, your pet's collar or leash may also contain plastics, so opting for a leather or cotton version may be best to reduce unwanted microplastic shedding.
• Food: Most pet foods come in plastic packaging, even wet food cans sport a plastic liner to prevent interactions between the metal and the ingredients inside. While it may be difficult to cut plastic completely out of the equation, you may be able to reduce the use by choosing paper packaging. Now, paper pet food bags still often contain a plastic layer to serve as a moisture barrier, but it is likely less plastic than a full on plastic bag. You may also choose to buy food in bulk and then store in stainless steel containers to reduce the plastic exposure.
• Clean up: Let's not forget about going plastic-free when it comes to pet waste. While plastic bags seem like the obvious choice not only to prevent transferring nasty bacteria to your hands when you pick it up but also as a convenient way to scoop and discard poop, it also keeps that waste from decomposing. Composing poop, if done properly, and, though not as durable, paper bags may be an option as well if you don't have outdoor access to compost or bury pet waste.

On the cat litter front, it's good to know that most litters are already made of natural materials such as clay or recycled newspaper. You can improve your cat litter eco-friendliness by disposing of in a paper bag or, again, composting or burying the waste products.

Of course, you'll get bonus points in the environmentally friendly department if you choose to upcycle materials such as old t-shirts or blankets to be used as bedding or toys. Plus, your pet may actually prefer them. Just make sure the reused products are large enough your pet can't immediately ingest them and they aren't able to chew bits off that can be ingested.

In Conclusion

Plastics are not friendly for man's best friend or our feline companions. Not only does the discarded product harm the environment, it can affect a pet's health while in use. To decrease the use of plastic in your pet's world, opt for natural materials over plastic whenever possible, especially when it comes to toys, bedding, food bowls and packaging.

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