Low Plastic Pet Startups
2 startups aim to reduce plastic packaging for pet food
Pet companies are responsible for over 130 million kg of plastic waste in the US every year. Only 1% of pet food packaging is recycled, leading to an awful lot of packaging in landfills and oceans.
Warsaw startup Packhelp receives frequent requests from pet food manufacturers to substitute existing pet food packaging materials for ones which can be recycled or softer plastics which allow more items to be packed into a shipment lowering transport emissions. Glass can be a popular substitute because it can be recycled quite easily, but its weight means it is heavier to ship and emits more CO2 when it is produced.
Education could also reduce the amount of packaging that ends up in landfill as many consumers could be using specialist recycling bins at supermarkets. Bower have created an app which allows people to scan in a barcode to find out where their nearest recycling facility is, and in return receive points which can be redeemed for charity donations or even cash.
