Petco, Stars Celebrate Launch of Canidae Kibble Refill Station

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Press release: Canidae Pet Food

To help curb reliance on single-use plastics and encourage sustainable business practices for pet food, Canidae recently announced the nationwide rollout of Canidae’s first-of-its-kind, environmentally friendly Kibble Refill Stations at participating Petco pet care centers across the country.

Kristin Davis (Sex in the City, And Just Like That), Mario and Courtney Lopez (Actor/Actress, TV and radio hosts), Lee Asher (Animal Planet’s My Pack Life) were among the celebrities and their furkids who rallied together at Petco in Burbank, California, to celebrate the launch of Canidae’s Kibble Refill Station – a first of its kind pet food system that positively impacts our planet.

Launching at the Petco Burbank store, the goal is to eliminate 50,000 dog food bags that would otherwise end up in landfills each year.

The Kibble Refill Stations operate similarly to bulk gravity-feed coffee bean or nuts systems, combined with a reusable zipper bag that eliminates the need for single-use reinforced bags, over 99 percent of which are disposed of in a landfill rather than recycled, according to the Pet Sustainability Coalition. Following a successful pilot at Petco locations in Southern California, Canidae and Petco expect to expand the kibble refill technology to 100 Petco pet care centers in 2022.

Pet parents can expect to save up to 45 percent per pound on their purchases, as opposed to the premium price generally associated with environmentally friendly offerings. For example, four pounds of Canidae Pure kibble from a Kibble Refill Station would save a consumer more than $9 per bag as opposed to a regular, pre-packaged four-pound bag.

The stations feature two recipes:

Pure Real Salmon & Sweet Potato – a grain-free, limited ingredient diet and Canidae’s most popular premium flavor

Sustain Premium Recipe with Cage-Free Chicken – an overall sustainable option with wholesome grains

“The pet food industry has long lagged behind the rest of the food and CPG industries when it comes to sustainability and environmentally friendly practices,” said Bret Furio, chief executive officer of Canidae. “At Canidae, we’ve set a goal for ourselves to eliminate more than 80% of our plastic packaging in the next eight years, in hopes that the rest of the industry follows suit. We know Petco shares a passion for wellness and sustainability for pets and pet owners alike, so this partnership is a great first step in our journey to deliver Goodness to pets, people, and the planet.”

The Pet Sustainability Coalition estimates that 300 million pounds of plastic pet food and treat bags are generated in the United States each year. Canidae expects to eliminate the need for 50,000 dog food bags in the first year of this program, with plans to expand their reach across the country through 2023 and beyond. As part of the system’s development, Canidae also rethought the way bulk kibble is distributed to stores, moving to fully-recyclable bulk bags in addition to the reusable zippered bags that consumers will use to take the kibble home. The elimination of single-use bags also allows Canidae to mitigate supply chain constraints related to packaging development.

“As a health and wellness company, all of us at Petco are acutely aware of our collective impact on our planet’s natural resources and we’re committed to driving positive change across our business, industry and the world at large,” said Shari White, Petco senior vice president of merchandising. “We’re dedicated to offering pets and pet parents more products made with sustainable ingredients and materials; and we are incredibly proud of this exclusive partnership with Canidae to bring their innovative Kibble Refill Station technology to Petco customers.”

The Kibble Refill Station — patent pending for utility and design — is a natural extension of existing Canidae initiatives such as expanding their reliance on regeneratively-farmed ingredients through the company’s farming co-op efforts, using verified sustainable proteins, exploring alternative means of transport like rail as opposed to interstate trucking and rethinking the company’s carbon footprint overall as it pertains to food production, refinement, and transportation.

From the first truckload of food delivered to the latest batch of pet food cooked in their Pet Nutrition plant in Brownwood, Texas, Canidae’s story is one to be proud of. Canidae was founded in 1996 by two pet owners who knew they could make pet food better. Better nutrients. Better flavor. Better for our dogs and cats and better for us all. They’ve been committed to quality ever since.