My Sustainability Journey: Tips for Sustainable Living with Pets

I've always been drawn to sustainability, even as a child. When I was seven years old, we received recycling bins from our city in France. I loved learning the rules about what to recycle and what not to recycle and telling my parents when they made mistakes (that was the best part at that age!). As a teenager, I participated in an exchange program twice in Germany and was amazed by how clean the cities were and how well organized they were in sorting different types of trash. I did a 6-month internship in Canada before graduating with my master's food science, and they were even more advanced in sustainability than what I had seen in Germany and France. For example, the city of Guelph provided compostable bags to collect green waste and collected green waste weekly, making it both easy and convenient to be responsible.

However, it wasn't until I read the books Zero Waste Home, by Bea Johnson, and The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by Michael Pollan, that I started accelerating the sustainability changes I was implementing in my life. I diligently applied everything I could from those books to my household; and I am very grateful my husband was game, even though it was far from easy at times. At the time, it was just him, our two cats, and me, and I was able to reduce our weekly household waste to just 85g, which included using old pet food bags, which are not recyclable, as trash bags and even composting our cat litter. I put in place a system of metal garbage bins that we would cycle through to keep the litter contained for two years, as advised by one of my veterinarian friends, in order to avoid harmful bacteria reaching the soil. This method worked wonderfully until it came time to move to a different house. As my husband tried to move the metal trash cans full of half-composted kitty litter from our old house to our new house, disaster struck. As he picked up one of the heavy cans with a friend, the bottom of the trash can gave out and soiled kitty litter fell everywhere. Needless to say, we laugh about this now, but my husband was not laughing at the time.

Adopting more sustainable habits is a family journey!

Reducing waste and living sustainably can sometimes be challenging, but it is worth it. It is not just about humans; our pets can also have a big impact. So, here are some tips for sustainable living with pets:

1. Reduce or eliminate pet food and treat waste.

When serving your pets their food, read the recommended feeding instructions. Only offer what they should eat, or would normally eat, so that no food is wasted or thrown away.

2. Look for eco-friendly pet foods and treats.

Search for sustainability claims and certifications about ingredient sourcing, manufacturing locations, and packaging. Be aware of greenwashing, which is sometimes used to deceptively persuade a product to be more environmentally friendly, even if it’s not. For example, some companies advertise their poop bags as being compostable, but most of them are not compostable in your backyard compost. These bags, and what they contain, can only be composted in industrial composting facilities, which few people have access to. Therefore, not clearly explaining this important detail to consumer is misleading, and not helping with our waste challenges.

3. Avoid purchasing single-use pet accessories.

Look for options that you already own that can be repurposed for your pet, like using an old towel instead of disposable pads, or using baby blankets to make a cozy bed.

4. Adopt a pet.

Adopting a pet from a shelter is a great way to reduce your environmental impact. Shelter animals have already been rescued and often have lower carbon footprints than animals bred for sale.

5. Consider purchasing foods or treats with less meat content.

Cats and dogs consume about one-fourth of all animal-derived calories produced in the United States, which has negative environmental impacts, as well as animal welfare impacts.

6. Choose more sustainable litter options.

Look for natural and biodegradable litter options, such as those made from recycled paper or wood chips. Keep in mind that clay-based litters are non-renewable and non-biodegradable.

7. Check out the Pet Sustainability Coalition website.

Their amazing articles, tools, and ideas are aimed at educating pet parents, pet food companies, and ingredient suppliers. One can become a member by visiting their website.

Living more sustainably, including with pets, can be challenging, but it's important to remember that every little bit helps and that it’s easier if you make it fun!

 

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About the Author

Émilie Mesnier's passion for pets ignited during a 2007 internship in palatability research and has propelled her ever since. A French-trained food scientist, she now blends two decades of global know-how—nutrition, marketing, sustainability, animal welfare and international growth—into one goal: better foods and lives for animals. A lifelong learner who has absorbed insights from 80-plus business books on strategy and continuous improvement, Émilie turns ideas into action every day. After 16 years in the US and running a small farm animal rescue sanctuary in Utah, Emilie moved children, husband and two senior pets back to France in early 2025 to bring BSM Partners’ full suite of consulting services closer to clients across the European market.