TRENTON, New Jersey – Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has proven indispensable in the wake of COVID-19 but this surge has led to littered PPE flooding streets and marine habitats. To address this unintended public health crisis of potentially hazardous litter, TerraCycle Regulated Waste has launched an easy-to-use recycling solution for single-use gloves and masks through their line of EasyPak Containers. Designed as a recycling system for businesses in need of a turn-key solution for hazardous waste disposal, the PPE EasyPack Containers allow property managers to easily recycle used gloves and masks on-site, thereby allowing staff to responsibly dispose of their protective gear instead of tossing items on the ground.

When I first started trying to reduce my waste in 2014, there weren’t many organic, zero waste skin care brands on the market. While the organic skin care market was doing pretty well, I wasn’t enticed by a lot of their packaging. It’s not that they didn’t care about their packaging, but there wasn’t a collective conscious around the dangers of single-use plastics. Consumers weren’t asking for plastic-free and zero waste products so brands weren’t providing them. Thankfully, that has changed! A LOT. In fact, there are so many awesome clean, low-waste, plastic free, sustainable, all-natural, organic skin care brands on the market that I had a really hard time trying to narrow it down to just 20.

If you’re hoping to donate your child’s car seat or crib this year, many thrift stores and retailers likely won’t take it. But throwing it away may not be the best option, either. Some Chicago-area parents say they’ve been struggling to get rid of unneeded car seats and other children’s items because of COVID-19. Most resale shops have for years limited what children’s items they’ll take, but even after reopening in recent weeks, many also have limited donations because of staff shortages. Trashing children’s gear can harm the environment, but to limit face-to-face contact, corporations such as Walmart and Target have canceled their trade-in programs, which had allowed people to exchange car seats for a credit, discount or upgraded product. “It stinks (the programs) are closed,” said Tory Andrews, 34, a parent from the Northwest Side who has been trying to give away her child’s car seat. “I don’t understand why they are closed, but the pandemic is affecting nearly everything.”

My pup, Polly, became part of the family before I started on my  low waste, eco friendly journey nearly five years ago! And even though I’ve been working to reduce our household waste for years now, I still continue to struggle with zero waste dog care. There are some aspects of low waste pet care that I’m doing an excellent job at (*ahem* zero waste dog treats!) while others I’m on the hunt for the right solution for our family pup even now. I’m hoping this post will maybe help some other dog parents find solutions for sustainable pet care, but also in hunkering down and doing the research, I’d like to find some answers of my own for my sustainable pup. If you have any advice/suggestions, please do share them in the comments section of this post!  

Low Waste Dog Food Ideas

  I’ve been purchasing dog kibble in large bags from the grocery store since I very first adopted my dog Polly! Unfortunately, those bags of dog food tend to be lined with plastic and must be sent to the landfill when empty. So I usually just try to buy the largest bag I can at the store. However, I did a little crowd sourcing in the Tiny Yellow Bungalow Facebook group a few weeks back to hear what other low waste dog food ideas are out there. I have a few friends that make their own dog food from scratch. How cool! I didn’t even consider making homemade dog food as an option. If you do plan to make your own dog food at home, be sure to research before preparing it. You’ll want to make sure your dog has a well balanced diet! Check out this post The Do’s and Don’ts of Homemade Dog Food.   This post contains Amazon affiliate links.   Now, if you are like me, and don’t want to take the time to make dog food in your own kitchen, the next best option I learned about from our Facebook group is a brand called Open Farm. Apparently, this brand of pet food is super transparent about the sourcing of their non-GMO ingredients. Also, you can recycle the dog food bag through Terracycle when empty. It’s not a completely waste free option but I think it’s a great solution.   If you have any low waste dog food recommendations to share, I would love to hear about them in the comments section!  

Zero Waste Dog Poop Disposal

  Ok, what to do with the poo?! There are a few different options for pet waste disposal.  

1. Use plastic bags you already have. For example, if you purchase a loaf of bread or bag of bagels from the grocery store, they tend to come in a plastic bag. You could reuse these bags as dog poo bags.
2. Use compostable dog poop bags. There are tons of compostable dog poop bags on the market these days. Many of them are made from bioplastics. My only concern about compostable dog poop bags is that nothing composts in the landfill. The process of composting requires air (hence, turning your compost heap with a shovel or spinning your compost tumbler). Landfills tightly compact garbage together so there isn’t any circulation, meaning you are basically preserving the dog poo in the landfill. I know… pretty gross, haha!
3. Backyard Dog Poop Composter. I’ve heard mixed reviews about the Doggie Dooley poo composter but maybe you could come up with a similar system of composting dog waste in your backyard. Unfortunately, you can’t compost dog poop with your regular household compost, so you’d definitely need a separate system.

 

Zero Waste Dog Treats

My dog Polly adores homemade dog treats! They’re super simple to prepare. We love to make fresh juice at our house, and I usually toss the leftover juice pulp in the compost. However, a fellow zero waster mentioned that you can use the pulp to make dog treats so I decided to try it out! Not only are they completely waste free but also vegan. Here’s the recipe I used:   3 cups leftover juice pulp (I keep leftover pulp in the freezer until I have 3 cups worth) 1 cup oats 1/2 cup peanut butter   Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together all ingredients. Roll out dough into cookie sized balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake treats until hard, about 15 minutes. Cool and then they are ready for your pup to enjoy!   These zero waste dog treats were so simple to make and such a fun way to use leftover juice pulp rather than just tossing it in the compost bin. I’m excited to experiment more with the recipe.   Do you have a favorite homemade dog treat recipe?   Another zero waste dog treat option is purchasing dog treats in bulk! Our local pet store has a bulk section for pet treats. We love to go there and fill up on plastic free dog treats. I take a reusable bulk bag with me to fill up, and then empty them into my own glass jar when I get home! I know this isn’t an option for everyone. On the flip side, I’ve noticed that a lot of dog treats at the grocery store come packaged in a paper box. If you purchase dog treats in a paper box, you could at the very least compost or recycle the box. This might be a good option for your pup if you don’t have bulk treats available or the time to make homemade treats from scratch.

Zero Waste Dog Toys

  To be completely honest, I don’t buy Polly a lot of dog toys. She’s a heavy chewer and will destroy just about every single toy I give her in a matter of minutes. Seriously, stuffed animals will be shredded in to tiny pieces in thirty seconds flat haha. We usually stick to large marrow filled bones because they last a long time. Yes, they do often come wrapped in plastic, but they just last so much longer in comparison to other pet toys. If you don’t have a heavy chewer, consider purchasing pet toys secondhand if you can, purchasing pet toys made of hemp. or even making your own DIY pet toys. You can take an old t-shirt and knot/braid it into the perfect tug of war toy for your dog!   My dog Polly does have a lot of energy. I feel like more important than giving her toys to play with at home, she needs plenty of exercise. We always make sure she gets a good run in with Sebastian daily. She’s less likely to get into mischief if she’s tired. Be sure to exercise your pups!  

You've made the sweaty, possibly smelly, aluminum-expelling switch from an antiperspirant to natural deodorant. The hard part is over! However, if you made the switch to benefit the Earth as well as your 'pits, you should know: not all-natural deodorants are eco-friendly.  

If you’re hoping to donate your child’s car seat or crib this year, many thrift stores and retailers likely won’t take it. But throwing it away may not be the best option, either. Some Chicago-area parents say they’ve been struggling to get rid of unneeded car seats and other children’s items because of COVID-19. Most resale shops have for years limited what children’s items they’ll take, but even after reopening in recent weeks, many also have limited donations because of staff shortages. Trashing children’s gear can harm the environment, but to limit face-to-face contact, corporations such as Walmart and Target have canceled their trade-in programs, which had allowed people to exchange car seats for a credit, discount or upgraded product. “It stinks (the programs) are closed,” said Tory Andrews, 34, a parent from the Northwest Side who has been trying to give away her child’s car seat. “I don’t understand why they are closed, but the pandemic is affecting nearly everything.”

Whether you’re packing a school lunch, work lunch, or a quick snack at home, we all appreciate a bit of convenience to make the job easier. We’ll admit that many convenient snack foods have way too much packaging, but at least we don’t have to sacrifice nutrition with all of the options out there. Here are a few that we tried.

As COVID-19 continues to rear its head across the U.S., food and beverage manufacturing plants have had to alter the way they do business, shifting from foodservice and restaurant-focused products to retail goods while employing lots of new technology. As a result new suppliers to the industry have popped up as well, with products including handheld and walk-through temperature scanners, temporary outdoor structures to protect employees from harsh weather conditions as they wait for temperature checks, touchless door sensors and time clocks, and plexiglass partitions to keep employees safe both on the plant floor and in the cafeteria.   AIB International launched the Pandemic Prepared Certification, the first certification standard created for the food and beverage supply chain that elevates critical planning for people, facilities, and production. The company collaborated with government, academia, international agencies, and top brands to develop the standard for the following proficiency areas: Pandemic Crisis Management, Supply Chain Management, Intermittent Operations Planning Management, Health Crisis Mitigation Measures and Management, and Pre-Requisite Program Review. Learn more at www.aibinternational.com.   Nestlé has expanded its use of augmented reality (AR) technology to remotely support its production and R&D sites as well as connect with suppliers. The company and its suppliers are using remote assistance tools, including smart glasses, 360-deg cameras, and 3-D software, to work on complex projects at its facilities around the world. Nestlé has used these various AR technologies to set up or redesign production lines and carry out vital maintenance with suppliers.

Surgical face masks used by guests and staff at The Venetian in Las Vegas will be recycled in a newly launched program. Working with TerraCycle, The Las Vegas Sans. Corp. resort said it’s the first Las Vegas-based property to develop such a program. The masks recycled from The Venetian will be collected, separated, shredded, and turned into a raw material that can be used to make products such as composite lumber for shipping pallet, railroad ties and composite decking. The Venetian has been separating masks from other waste since its reopening on June 4 as part of its Sands ECO360 initiative. Surgical masks are not currently recycled through mainstream or curbside recycling programs because the recycling process is so complex. The masks are composed of various materials that need to be sorted and separated before recycling — including a metal nose strip, which requires a magnet to separate it.