It’s Easier Being Green

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Having just returned from Global Pet Expo, I can tell you that the pet industry has gone green. Eco-friendly products seemed to be everywhere. Almost every company I spoke with highlighted the ways that company was working to be more sustainable and using safer and more natural materials.

While I didn’t know that’s what I would see at Global when we were planning our April edition, in acknowledgement of Earth Day, we decided to make this our Green Issue. I won’t claim any great insight or psychic abilities; anyone who has been around the pet industry for the last several years knows about the proliferation of green pet products.

Our cover story is all about eco-friendly products and the consumer demand for these products. More and more pet owners are not only willing to purchase environmentally friendly products for their pets but are actively seeking these products out. Today’s pet owner is often as concerned for the well-being of the planet as for the well-being of his or her pet.

Along with the cover story, in our products section you can find Focus on Eco-Friendly Products. This will give you a look at the diversity of green products that are now all the rage in the pet industry.

And, of course, every month we bring you our Natural Trends & Products column by Stacy Mantle. For this issue, she wrote about raw diets, a growing category within the pet food segment.
Pet Age itself embraces the greening of the pet industry by being a member of the Pet Industry Sustainability Coalition (PISC), and our own Craig Rexford is a member of its advisory board. PISC provides information to pet companies on how to make their products and processes more sustainable.

I share the environmental concerns of many other pet owners and seek out products that are more sustainable for my pets. It’s encouraging to see the options for doing so keep expanding. It’s also encouraging that greener product options exist across the various segments of the pet industry, not just in the cat and dog categories.

The green pet product trend shows no signs of slacking. Retailers would be smart to embrace it by stocking sustainable products and showcasing them for customers. It’s good for the retailer, the consumer, the pets and the planet.

Happy Earth Day!

Tom Mazorlig