PetSmart has expanded access to sustainability initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions and pollution. These initiatives include pilot toy and pet food bag takeback programs.
"We hear that our pet parents want to join us in reducing our impacts on the planet and operating ethically and responsibly," said Joanne Dwyer, vice president of corporate social responsibility and corporate communications. "We can't solve the challenges we face alone. Collaboration – with peers, business partners, trade associations, animal welfare organizations, and pet parents – is a cornerstone of our CSR strategy. That's one of the many reasons we're excited to partner with West Paw, PetPlate, and TerraCycle to make purpose-driven brands more accessible and bring new opportunities for engagement to pet parents."
To continue providing the broadest assortment of products for pet parents, PetSmart is growing the assortment of sustainability initiatives:
- West Paw: A certified B Corporation that focuses on manufacturing high-quality, durable dog toys and pet products to enrich the lives of dogs. Prioritizing sustainability, they use eco-friendly materials and processes in their production.
- PetPlate: Offering vet-designed recipes, the frozen, gently cooked meals are made with high-quality, human-grade, whole-food ingredients, which are more bio-available than fillers and other low-quality ingredients.
- Only Natural Pet: A wholly owned subsidiary of PetSmart and Certified B Corporation with more than 200 products featuring natural, high-quality, responsibly sourced ingredients.
In addition, PetSmart is testing programs for the end-of-life of items that are not recyclable curbside:
- West Paw Join the Loop takeback program: PetSmart will pilot a West Paw dog toy takeback program in over 75 stores. After a dog toy has been thoroughly used, collection boxes inside PetSmart stores will facilitate its return to West Paw. Old toys are sanitized, ground up, and fed back into the manufacturing process to make new toys, which can be recycled again. PetSmart will also test the takeback of other branded toys that are made from plastic or rubber-like materials.
- TerraCycle pet food bag takeback program: PetSmart is partnering with TerraCycle this summer to take back pet food bags and find end-of-life solutions because they are not recyclable through curbside programs. The takeback program will launch in 100 PetSmart stores with expected plans to expand enterprise-wide to make it easier for pet parents to practice sustainability.
