The Environment
Pooch & Mutt is dedicated to ensuring all dogs lead a happy healthy life, and we can’t do that without protecting the environment that they (and we) live in.
Our environmental policy is not driven by marketing or a desire to look good to our customers (although we hope that they will appreciate it). The reason that we operate an environmentally friendly policy is that we think we should. In fact we think that all companies should… and get very annoyed when they don’t.
Here are a few ways that we look after the environment:
Packaging
Pooch & Mutt launched in 2008 with products packed in biodegradable packaging, lined with PLA bio-plastic. Further research showed that the biodegradable benefits of the bio-plastic were potentially outweighed by the emissions produced to make it, and there was a potential negative effect on the food chain, as agricultural land was used to produce it.
Also, more of our orders were coming online than we expected, so in 2009 Pooch & Mutt launched a concentrate range in recyclable plastic pouches. The plastic pouches are far lighter, smaller and tougher than the previous packaging. This means that when online orders are sent out they can be sent via standard post and fit through a letter box (saving the emissions made by an individual courier) and they can be sent in a standard envelope (reducing the need for additional packaging, such as jiffy bags). As they were smaller more shops started to stock them (they take up less shelf space)
Recycling & Paper-less operations
Unless specifically requested all Pooch & Mutt invoices, and as much correspondence as possible goes via email. This provides environmental savings not just for paper, but also for ink and petrol.
We recycle as much as we possibly can at Pooch & Mutt HQ, however we now work pretty much paper-free, so there is not that much recycling to do, except the veterinary and trade journals and dog magazines that we get sent. These are all read, re-read and recycled… except for the articles that we rip out for product development/ research and the articles about us!
Suppliers
A large part of the selection process for our suppliers is their own environmental policy.
Products
The Pooch & Mutt supplements use natural ingredients. In many cases the products offer a natural alternative to prescription medicines. Click here to read an article on ‘How are human and veterinary medicines in soils and water bodies affecting human and environmental health‘.
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Click here to read more about Pooch & Mutt’s ethics
If you have any suggestions on how we can improve anything about our business, in particular our environmental policy email pooch@poochandmutt.com
