The environmental impact of pet food production has been an ongoing topic of conversation among experts for years, and recent interest in more sustainable practices throughout the industry have only increased in relevance.
While Freshpet acknowledges that companies need to hold themselves accountable by addressing ways that they can be more sustainable overall, it is important to be mindful of the role that leaders in environmentally friendly practices play in setting the standard for others to follow. Increasing access to resources that provide guidelines to work towards are valuable for inspiring others to make changes necessary to protect our environment.
Here, Freshpet explores sustainability in the petfood industry- addressing the implications of pet food production for our environment and the steps we are taking to prioritize more sustainable practices within our operations.
What is the Environmental Impact of Pet Food Production?
Just as is the case with any other industry vertical, pet food production can have negative implications on the environment if it is not mitigated through improved process, set standards, and goals to lessen our footprint.
While there are a variety of impacts that the pet food industry can have on our environment if steps are not taken to improve sustainability across the board, a few stand out as the most significant. For example, the land use associated with pet food production, carbon footprint, and the relationship between pet food production and the meat industry are a few of the most commonly cited impacts.
How is Freshpet Prioritizing Sustainable Practices?
The impact that unsustainable practices in the pet food industry can have on the environment point to the importance of prioritizing an environmentally friendly approach, and Freshpet dog food reviews show that there is a growing consumer interest in environmentally friendly approaches. Luckily, Freshpet and a few other leaders in sustainable pet food production have highlighted ways to integrate sustainable models into day-to-day operations.
Utilizing Sustainable Protein Sources
Meat production can have a high carbon footprint but, for a long time, plant-based products pet food products were not seen as viable options for helping dogs meet all of their nutritional requirements. This has changed as industry leaders like Freshpet have made innovations to expand the plant-based space to give pet parents more sustainable options for mealtime.
Freshpet’s Spring & Sprout was developed in collaboration with a veterinarian nutritionist using a recipe containing cage-free eggs, plant-based proteins, and fresh produce. Offerings like Spring & Sprout reduce our dependency on meat production in the pet food industry while providing pets with healthy and tasty alternatives. Freshpet dog food reviews show that there is a growing demand for these types of products.
Reducing Waste by Reusing and Donating Products
Lessening waste that goes into our local landfills is a crucial step for improving sustainability across industry. Freshpet has made significant efforts over the years to reduce waste to the benefit of the communities we operate out of.
One notable way that Freshpet has shown an interest in adaptive reuse by taking steps to reduce food waste. Freshpet dog food reviews detail how our products are donated to shelters, organizations, and rescues to support them as they perform the important task of feeding and housing animals.
A benefit of using fresh ingredients for producing our pet food is that we can reduce waste by selling and donating perishable foods to other companies that can put them to good use. Recognizing that reducing waste after production is just as important as reducing waste during production is vital for upholding sustainable practices to make our world a better place.
Using Renewable Energy and Eco-Friendly Materials
The environmental impact of the pet food industry is compounded by the fact that brands all need to utilize energy resources to produce foods for our furry friends. Freshpet has taken steps to improve sustainability throughout production using renewable wind energy, with 100% of energy in Freshpet kitchens coming from this resource.
Wind energy helps Freshpet conserve while continuing to find ways to reduce energy consumption over time. This is paired with innovative use of recycling and adaptive reuse as Freshpet expands to use more eco-friendly materials across every step of production.
Collaborating with Green Partners
In any production space, you are only as environmentally friendly as the companies in which you do business with. Freshpet takes this ethos to heart by partnering with vendors and suppliers who are themselves proponents of positive environmental change in the pet food industry.
Freshpet’s work with dedicated, green partners enables us to improve sustainability in both large and small ways throughout the production process. We can use less materials in packaging to reduce waste, print labels using inks that do not leak as many volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) into the surrounding environment, and reduce emissions during transport through the fuel efficiency provided by Smart Way® partners.
Remaining Committed to Sustainable Initiatives
Setting sustainable goals and maintaining them is vital for companies that want to uphold their commitment to environmentally friendly practices. In doing so, companies must hold themselves accountable and set both short and long term goals that set the standard for their efforts.
Last year, Freshpet released its first Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) report, which included an in-depth look at initiatives meant to prioritize sustainable goals.
Reports that are transparent regarding companies’ goals are great ways to prioritize environmentally friendly practices for several reasons. They are excellent for expressing set goals and monitoring progress as they are being worked towards. A notable way that Freshpet has used this reporting is to measure climate and water impacts of our production.
Reporting is also a foundational step towards improving transparency while building towards more sustainable practices. Business leaders and consumers alike can see what initiatives are important to a company, which can inspire other companies and individuals to rethink what they are doing to protect our environment. This sets a trend for more accountability and upheld standards.
What Will the Future of Environmentally-Friendly Practices Look Like?
The future of sustainability in pet food is widely speculated by experts following trends and existing practices dominating the space. One thing that we can be sure of is that companies will feel a bit of pressure from consumers, shareholders, and administrators alike to showcase the work that they are doing to contribute to a cleaner environment.
There are a variety of other ways that sustainability may paint the future of the pet food industry as well. More developments in plant-based protein recipes are to be expected as we look to reduce our reliance on meat sources. We can also expect that companies will rethink packaging and their recycling strategies, waste production, and energy use as sustainability pushes developments in the pet food industry.
