In our journey towards a more sustainable future, we believe it's important to extend our eco-friendly efforts to all aspects of pet care. While our affection for our beloved furry companions is endless, as pet parents, we can't deny their impact on our planet. From sustainable pet bowls and toys to collars, harnesses, and leashes, every decision we make matters.
In this blog, let's explore why choosing a sustainable pet leash and collar is important for reducing your dog's carbon paw print and discuss the available natural options. Plus, we'll share how to pick the best option for you and your pup.
Why You Should Choose Sustainable
As responsible pet owners, we must consider the environmental impact of the products we choose for our furry friends. Traditional dog collars, harnesses, and leashes come at a high environmental cost. For example, traditional dog collars are often crafted using non-biodegradable materials such as nylon and plastic, which involve the emission of greenhouse gasses in their production. These gasses - combined with other non-renewable resources - play a huge role in resource depletion, pollution, and wild habitat destruction, further perpetuating our unsustainable consumption patterns.
On the other hand, natural dog collars and leashes are made out of earth friendly materials and, therefore, require far fewer resources to produce and decompose much faster. This, in turn, helps to minimize both the waste in landfills and the long-term environmental burden on the planet.
Keep in mind though, if you don't have a sustainable pet leash right now it doesn't mean you should rush out and buy one new. Use what you have first, wear it until it's worn out and then, only then, should you consider another leash. Then we recommend buying second hand if possible. If not, then look at a new, sustainable option, like the ones we recommend below.
Are Sustainable Options Better For My Dog?
Yes! Manufacturing the materials used to create traditional dog collars involves using strong chemicals and dyes that can be harmful to dogs, particularly those with sensitive skin and allergies. Sustainable collars are typically made from non-toxic materials like organic cotton, hemp, rope, and cork, reducing the risk of adverse reactions and making them safer for pets and owners.
Thankfully, these sustainable options are becoming more mainstream in the USA, meaning that it is easier than ever to choose sustainability and promote not only the well-being of our planet but the physical well-being of you and your beloved companion, too.
Sustainable Materials We Love
There is a lot to consider when shopping for eco-friendly gear for your pet, as different sustainable materials offer their own unique advantages in terms of comfort, style, maintenance, and durability. To help you on your journey toward pet sustainability, we've put together a list of our favorite products that are good for your pet and our planet.
Cork
Cork is one of the best alternatives to traditional leather collars and leashes due to its remarkable longevity and durability – even under the toughest conditions. This makes cork an ideal choice for an owner with a particularly active and playful dog. Cork is also harvested from the outer bark of the cork oak tree, which naturally regenerates its bark over time, meaning it is the only tree in the world that is not harmed when its bark is harvested. This makes cork the perfect sustainable and highly renewable resource to make our pet products with.
Our natural Cork Dog Collar boasts the same benefits: handmade in the USA, washable, naturally lightweight, and water resistant, meaning that it will not degrade if your pup loves long mountain walks or splashing in lakes and puddles. The dog collar features a side release and no rust, aluminum buckle as a more durable and sustainable alternative to plastic closings and rings.
Another benefit of cork accessories is their beautiful natural texture and tones. Although these earth tones lend themselves well to more classic, contemporary collar and leash designs, there is a huge variety of vibrant colored and patterned cork pet gear out there to suit every pet's personality.
Why not pair our Cork Dog Collar with the matching Cork Dog Leash, and Cork Dog Harness?
Hemp
Eco-friendly hemp dog supplies are an extremely sustainable option for several reasons. Firstly, the hemp plant is a fast-growing and highly sustainable crop that requires minimal pesticides and fertilizers to grow alongside only a fraction of water. Hemp also naturally replenishes the soil, absorbs more carbon dioxide per hectare than any other crop, and is biodegradable, making purchasing a hemp collar and leash an extremely environmentally friendly choice.
Moreover, hemp collars are naturally soft, flexible, and breathable, allowing air to circulate your dog's neck, ensuring there is no chafing after extended wear and reducing the risk of overheating and irritation. Finally, hemp products are hypoallergenic, making them gentle on the skin and especially suitable for dogs with sensitive skin and allergies.
There are so many advantages of hemp! The only downside, from our point of view, is that most hemp is sourced and woven into fabric in China. Sadly, North American hemp is being reserved for food production right now, so it's not making its way into materials just yet. Hopefully soon!
Upcycled Materials
Another sustainable option to consider when purchasing your furry friends' accessories is previously used materials that are repurposed and upcycled into something entirely new and different. Producing raw materials from raw resources requires significant energy and water consumption. By creating collars and accessories out of recycled material, we conserve these valuable resources and reduce the pollution and emission of greenhouse gasses often associated with traditional manufacturing processes.
Our Upcycled Dog Collar is handmade in the USA from recycled rubber bicycle inner tubing. Unlike woven material that can create a breeding ground for bacteria, this recycled collar is odor-resistant and easy to clean, ideal for long walks in the rain and snow. Contrary to common misconceptions, recycled materials are equally as durable and high-quality as other virgin materials, and our upcycled products are built to withstand the rigors of daily wear and tear from even the most adventurous dog! This eco-friendly design also features a metal latch-lock buckle that is four times stronger than plastic, making the collar both super secure and earth-friendly.
If that hasn't convinced you enough, both the Upcycled Dog Collar and Leash are available in various reflective and non-reflective designs. Plus, they feature an attachment that doubles as a bottle opener!
