Sustainability advances in the pet industry

New tool

Since 2013, the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC) has inspired and educated hundreds of companies in the pet industry to start or strengthen their sustainability programme, leading to bottom-line savings and top-line growth. Now, in 2020, the PSC is announcing a new tool that further signifies its global collaborative approach.

SDG Action Manager

As of March 2020, PSC members can baseline their sustainability performance using the SDG Action Manager. This is the first tool developed in partnership between B Lab and the United Nations Global Compact to help companies measure their business performance in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Established in 2015, the SDGs ‘provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future’.

“The pet industry reaches communities and environments all over the world. The SDG Action Manager will further PSC’s global approach by uniting the entire pet industry around a common language and common metrics for measuring and improving our impact,” says Caitlyn Bolton Dudas, PSC’s co-founder and executive director. “The actions our members take each year will ladder up to a global standard for prosperity and the pet industry will join forces with a global movement of businesses working toward a better future.”

The launch

The Pet Sustainability Coalition plans to host a launch event to signify the new SDG Action Manager. All attendees will be invited to make a corporate commitment to at least one of the 17 SDGs. After pet industry leaders have completed the new baseline assessment, PSC equips them by providing education, tools and implementation support to drive continuous improvement while benefitting the business.

Five insights from industry leaders

As part of PSC’s Positive Impact accreditation programme, companies are required to measure and verify their annual performance improvement. Insights from five leaders of companies that performed top in their product category are provided below.

Macro economics & business responsibility

Ted Mischaikov, CEO of Healthy Pet, says: “When I studied economics, I learned about the incredible power of the free market system and that there are externalities that are not accounted for in the equation of supply and demand. However, our societies are paying for these costs and it is the responsibility of businesses to incorporate these costs whenever possible so that we are truly participating in a sustainable economy.”

Customer demand

Steve Coulson, director of business development at Takigawa, says: “Takigawa Corporation has always considered the environment as part of our social responsibility. Our employees have all contributed and, as such, feel a sense of pride and engagement in our business. We recognised many years ago that our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint along with our products were essential to an efficient and sustainable business. We continue to see sustainability as a source of innovation for research and development and something deeply valued by our customers.”

Community

Spencer Williams, CEO of West Paw, says: “When you have a community of people who care about social progress and environmental progress, they are so willing to offer help and support. They feel connected to our business and its success in a much deeper way that increases engagement, productivity and resilience.”

Foundational integration

Rebecca Rose, president of InClover, Inc., says: “It is so much deeper and requires more thought than just having recycle bins in your office. If you can commit to that kind of foundational change, your bottom line will improve significantly in a way that you can’t anticipate today.”

Employee engagement and retention

Marty Grosjean, former CEO of Only Natural Pet, says: “Employees are attracted to working for our company. Most of the people who work here share the same values and practice sustainability in their own lives. Even those who did not when they started now resonate and appreciate the company going down that path.”