Unsurprisingly the biggest impact of our pets on the environment is from the production of meat-based pet food. There are approximately 15.5 million dogs and 13 million cats in the UK, which comprises 78% of the UKs total pet population (Source: UK Pet Food). A study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production entitled “Estimating the environmental impact of dog foods marketed in the UK” found dog food ingredients accounted for 0.9-1.3% of the UKs greenhouse gas emissions. While there hasn't been a comprehensive study looking at the environmental impact of cat food in the UK, this is likely to be higher due to cats being obligate carnivores. With pet food having such a significant environmental footprint, what can we actually do about it without compromising our pets' health?
A study looking at the environmental impact of diets for dogs and cats found that commercially available wet food diets had a significantly greater impact on the environment compared to commercially available dry food diets. There are a number of reasons including: the use of animal by-products from the meat industry, dry food having a lower water content and therefore being lighter to ship, dry food being less likely to spoil, and the composition of dry food typically having more plant based carbohydrates.
Many pet food companies are now incorporating upcycled ingredients that would otherwise go to waste, with some brands such as Planet Pet Society purely using upcycled ingredients for their products. Raising livestock or growing grains and vegetables specifically for the pet food industry uses unnecessary land and water. By using animal by-products from meat intended for human consumption and surplus or wonky grains and vegetables instead, this land can be returned to nature. Look for words and phrases such as “surplus”, “rescued” or “sourced from the human food chain” on the product packaging to identify products utilising upcycled ingredients.
Pet food products using alternative sources of protein are becoming increasingly available. Better Origin based in Cambridge offers sustainably farmed insect based pet food ingredients for companies such as Grub Club, Tuggs and Some Grub. They also offer their own range of pet food products. Farmed insects have a small environmental impact compared to conventional livestock farming. Insects can turn waste products into a highly nutritious and protein rich product, eliminating the need for land used to produce livestock feed. There are also many plant based pet food products available. Plant based ingredients naturally lack nutrition that cats and dogs need so choosing formulated pet foods is important. Companies such as Benevo offer nutritionally complete cat and dog food.
An additional aspect to consider when choosing sustainable pet food is how well the nutrients are absorbed. Giving your pets low-quality food means it will pass through their system without providing adequate nutrition. As a result, your pet will eat more food to compensate. Higher quality brands focus on providing the correct nutrition, as well as high digestibility so the body can easily utilise the nutrients. Products aimed for pets with food sensitivities and allergies use hydrolyzed proteins. The hydrolyzation process breaks down proteins into tiny components, making them incredibly easy to absorb as well as being very gentle on sensitive stomachs which reduces regurgitation.
Another important consideration when choosing pet food is packaging. In the UK pet food packaging has a low recycling rate, with billions of pet food pouches ending up in landfill every year. This is due to a majority of UK councils not accepting flexible plastics on kerbside collection and being unable to process multi layered plastics. Greater Cambridge Shared Waste is one of the few waste collections that accepts flexible plastics, so larger single layered pet food packaging such as dry food bags can be recycled at kerbside. Packaging consisting of multi layered materials and all pet food pouches, even single layered, are not accepted. These can be dropped off at certain supermarkets and pet stores for specialised processing provided that they are washed and dried. It is also worth considering that larger bags of dry food have less packaging per portion of pet food than trays or pouches.
Every pet has different dietary requirements and preferences so not all products available will be suitable, however there are likely to be changes we can implement to make our pets’ diets more sustainable. Start by trying out some sustainable alternatives and if your pet likes it, gradually introduce it to your pet's diet. With any pet food, weigh out your pet's meals according to the product's feeding guide. Not overfeeding your pet reduces waste and keeps your pet healthy. Small but well-informed changes in what we buy and how much we feed can reduce the environmental footprint of our pets, without compromising their health.
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