Mintel highlights some recent innovations in ethical and sustainable pet food and supplies.
Humanisation and the green revolution
As more pet owners see themselves as pet parents, trends in the human market are trickling down to the pet market in several countries. There are now more environmentally friendly product claims in the UK, for example, rising from just 6% of pet product launches in 2015 to 15% in the first half of 2019.
Increased focus on sustainability seems timely. 73% of UK cat and dog food buyers now say that knowing where ingredients come from would boost their trust in pet food brands, while 56% say they try to buy pet food from environmentally friendly companies.
Natural alternatives for grooming
Grooming products are important for pet owners and many are showing as much interest in natural grooming products for their pets as in this aspect of their own personal care products.
One manufacturer active in this segment is US-based personal care brand Burt’s Bees. Their products for dogs are modelled on their human product lines. The brand’s waterless shampoo for cats is described as 99.7% natural.
Another sustainable pet care product is Soapy Tails dog shampoo: cruelty-free, 100% biodegradable and free of parabens, phthalates, sulphates and phosphates. It is produced locally by a small, family-owned California company, that sells a range of natural herbal soaps using packaging from Heritage Paper that is made with 90% solar power.
Ethical pet food
While animal welfare standards are high on the agenda, pet food launches making ethical claims are rare but growing. In 2015, 3% of all launches globally were linked to ingredients like dolphin-safe tuna and free-range chicken and by 2018 this had risen to 5%.
In the Netherlands, one of Edgard & Cooper’s pet food ranges is said to be planet friendly. Organic farming helps fight climate change by keeping carbon in the soil as well as supporting plant, insect and bird life. The manufacturer also donates 10% of its profits to charity – recently to the Dog Care Clinic in Sri Lanka.
The way forward for packaging
Plastic packaging waste has sparked much media coverage, consumer concern and government policy initiatives in recent years. While pet food not yet faces the same public scrutiny as plastic bottles, research shows that the environmental impact of pet food packaging is a concern for one in two pet owners in the UK. Alternative – and sometimes unusual – packaging materials are now being explored by some brands, often as part of a wider ethical brand positioning.
A recent example in the UK is Pooch & Mutt’s carton packaging. The comprehensive on-pack description outlining the green credentials of the carton is arguably much needed, given limited consumer awareness of the environmental impact of different packaging types.
Dog owners looking to reduce their single-use plastics will likely be opting for biodegradable poop bags, like those from Beco in France. Their compostable bags are made from corn starch and with ethical manufacturing practices.
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