Eco-Friendly Pet Products For A Greener Paw Print

Pets are part of the family, no sniffs or butts about it. And because they are, we want the best for them, which also means thinking about what their toys, food, beds, and grooming products are doing to the planet.

Why is this important, you ask? A peer-reviewed study in PLOS One found that dogs and cats in the US alone are responsible for 25% to 30% of the environmental impact of meat consumption, creating roughly 64 million tons of CO2 annually. Add in plastic toys, synthetic flea treatments, and non-recyclable packaging, and the collective environmental pawprint of our furry friends starts to add up.

So sit, stay, and let us walk you through some environmentally friendly pet products that are doggone good for everyone. And if you’d prefer not buying anything new at all, remember thrift stores are an excellent option for secondhand toys, collars, leashes, and more. And instead of poop bags, you can use chip packets, toilet paper wrappers, or newspapers. See our guide to zero waste dog care for more ideas.

What We Looked For

We prioritized brands that use natural, recycled, or organic materials, practice transparent and ethical manufacturing, and back up their eco claims with third-party certifications like B Corp, Oeko-tex, and GOTS,.

We also considered those brands going the extra (dog-walking) mile with green business practices like using renewable energy and sustainable packaging (minimal, recyclable or compostable).

For more details on what we looked for, pounce down to the bottom of this article.

Our Ratings & Research

This article is split into two parts. First, we feature brands we’ve vetted through our sustainability rating system, where we evaluate initiatives across 22 criteria. Then, we cover additional sustainable pet products from brands that meet our editorial standards but haven’t gone through the full rating process. See other rated brands in our sustainable brand directory.

Related Guides

For deeper dives into specific categories, we have dedicated articles on eco-friendly dog toys, eco-friendly dog beds, sustainable dog food, sustainable cat food, and sustainable dog collars.

West Paw’s Sustainable Pet Products

If your pup needs something tougher to chew on than compostable hemp (and let’s be honest, some dogs just do), West Paw is the go-to for durable dog products.

West Paw manufactures in Bozeman, Montana, and their signature Zogoflex material is BPA-free, phthalate-free, latex-free, and FDA-compliant. It’s also recyclable through West Paw’s own Join the Loop program, where you can send back worn toys to be remolded into new ones. Their Seaflex material is made with mostly Zogoflex and some recycled ocean bound plastic.

They also make low-profile, machine washable dog beds for pooches of all sizes. The IntelliLoft fill used in their Heyday and Big Sky Nap cushion beds is OEKO-TEX 100 certified and made from recycled plastic bottles.

• Products: Chew toys, fetch toys, puzzle toys, tug toys, dog beds
• Key materials: Zogoflex, IntelliLoft fill (recycled plastic bottles, OEKO-TEX 100), recycled ocean-bound plastic (Seaflex line). Note: West Paw does not disclose what is actually in their proprietary Zogoflex material so we cannot 100% reassure our readers of the safety of the inputs but it certainly seems like one of the best options for durable toys.
• Where made: Bozeman, Montana, USA
• What we love: Certified B Corp, zero-waste-to-landfill manufacturing facility. Their Join the Loop recycling program keeps toys out of landfill. All toys come with a love-it guarantee.

Give A Sh!t’s Eco-friendly Pet Products

Responsible pet ownership rule #1? Pick up that poop.

Littering is sh*t… especially when it literally is. Just because dog poop is natural doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a host of negative environmental impacts when left to lie.

Thankfully, eco-friendly pet brands prove they give a sh*t about the planet. Give A Sh!t makes TÜV Austria-certified home compostable bags from 100% plant-based cornstarch, BPAT (a biodegradable and compostable polymer), and edible glycerin. They’re 18 microns thick, leak-proof, and designed to break down within 3 to 12 months in a home compost bin.

The TÜV Austria OK Compost HOME certification is the highest standard for home composting. Many bags labelled “biodegradable” have no certification backing them up and can still leave microplastics behind.

10% of profits go to the Soi Dog Foundation to rescue and rehabilitate stray dogs and cats in Asia, and they also offer compostable cat litter bags in an extra-large format.

With new brands popping up all the time, make sure you read our deep dive into biodegradable trash bags before you buy.

• Products: Home compostable dog poop bags (standard and handled), compostable cat litter bags, plant-based pet wipes
• Key materials: 100% plant-based cornstarch and BPAT
• Certifications: TÜV Austria OK Compost HOME and OK Compost INDUSTRIAL
• What we love: Certified compostable (not just “biodegradable”), 10% of profits to animal rescue, recycled packaging, and a flexible subscription option.

Beco’s Recycled Pet Products

Beco’s dog and cat bowls are mostly made from 96% post-consumer recycled plastic with a grippy rubber base and an easy-grab handle for mess-free feeding. They also offer a range made from bamboo fibers and rice husks. They’re sturdy, easy to clean, and designed to last years.

Their toy range includes natural rubber balls and bones (100% natural rubber, tapped from rubber trees) and soft toys made from recycled polyester. The tough rubber toys come with a strength guarantee, which is reassuring for those of us whose dogs treat toys as competitive eating events.

Beco’s poop bags are made from recycled plastic with recycled cardboard packaging. While they’re not compostable like Give A Sh!t’s bags, they’re a solid option if you’re looking for a recycled-content alternative.

• Products: Dog and cat bowls, natural rubber toys, soft toys, poop bags, grooming wipes
• Key materials: 96% post-consumer recycled plastic or bamboo fibers and rice husks (bowls), 100% natural rubber (toys), recycled polyester (soft toys)
• Availability: UK and US
• What we love: Minimal packaging, natural rubber tapped from renewable sources, and a strength guarantee on tough toys.

Wagging Green’s Sustainable Pet Products

Wagging Green is our top pick for sustainable dog collars, and they’re the brand we recommend in our deeper guides too (all linked in the intro).

All Wagging Green products are made from natural bamboo fiber webbing, which is soft, odor-resistant, and strong. Every collar, leash, and harness is hand-sewn at their production facility in Foley, Alabama, and ships in recycled packaging.

• Products: Single and double-layer collars, martingale collars, harnesses, leashes (40+ color options), cat collars
• Key materials: Bamboo fiber webbing, metal hardware
• Where made: Foley, Alabama, USA
• What we love: They run a recycling program where you send back your worn-out Wagging Green gear and get 25% off a replacement, with the old hardware reused in new products.

Tuft & Paw’s Natural Pet Products

Conventional clay-based cat litter is strip-mined, non-biodegradable, and often treated with synthetic fragrances that can irritate your cat’s respiratory system. Natural alternatives perform just as well (sometimes better) and break down at end of life

Tuft & Paw’s Really Great Cat Litter is a tofu-based litter made from soybean fiber (a byproduct of soy processing), which makes it both a lower-impact material choice and a way to repurpose agricultural waste. The cylindrical pellets are designed to stay in the litter box rather than tracking through your house, and the formula is 99% dust-free, clumping, and fully flushable.

It comes in two options: Charcoal (unscented, with activated carbon for odor control) and Lavender (lightly scented with dried lavender petals rather than synthetic fragrances). Each 9.25 lb bag lasts about a month per cat and is 58% lighter than traditional clay litter.

• Products: Really Great Cat Litter (Charcoal and Lavender varieties), OdorStop mixed tofu blend
• Key ingredients: Soybean fiber, corn starch, corn flour, guar gum, charcoal (or dried lavender petals)
• What we love: Flushable, clumping, ultra-low tracking, 99% dust-free, and made from a repurposed soy byproduct. No artificial fragrances, dyes, or clay mining involved.

We’ve covered this category in more depth in our dedicated cat litter guide. And for cat food, see our guides to sustainable cat food and vegan cat food.

Smooth coat, short coat, combination coat, double coat… regardless of whether you have a high or low-maintenance dog breed, grooming is part and parcel of responsible pet ownership. And you can level up that responsible pet parenting (and help your pet shed less hair and less plastic into the environment) if you choose sustainable grooming tools.

The sustainable bamboo pet brush handmade by Juturna Studios is a good option. The dual-sided design features round-tipped stainless steel pins on one side and plant-based bristles on the other, giving flexibility for different coat types. The handle is made from sustainable bamboo with an ergonomic grip, and the whole thing is vegan, plastic-free, and designed to last for years. It’s designed in California and handmade with production assistance from Hong Kong.

For a non-vegan alternative, Redecker’s double-sided dog and cat brushes are handcrafted in Germany from natural pig bristles (sourced as a byproduct of slaughterhouses, for those who prefer using all parts of the animal) and wire pins set in a beechwood body.

For natural shampoo, conditioning, and flea protection, Butterfly & Bee (featured above) covers all three.

The pet product market is full of “green” labels, so it helps to know what to look for (and what to question) before you buy.

Materials

The most impactful swap you can make is choosing products made from natural, recycled, or organic materials instead of virgin plastic and synthetic fabrics.

Organic cotton, hemp, natural rubber, recycled polyester, stainless steel, and sustainably harvested bamboo all have lower environmental footprints than their conventional counterparts.

For anything your pet chews on or eats from, non-toxic materials are especially important because research has shown that chemicals like phthalates and BPA can leach from plastic pet products during normal use.

Packaging and End-of-life

Even a great product loses points if it arrives wrapped in layers of virgin plastic. Look for brands using recycled cardboard, compostable mailers, or minimal packaging.

And consider what happens when the product wears out: can it be composted, recycled, or returned to the brand? Products with verified recycled content close the loop even further.

Manufacturing Practices

Where and how a product is made matters as much as what it’s made from. Brands that manufacture locally, use renewable energy, pay living wages, and have transparent supply chains tend to have a measurably lower overall impact.

Certifications

Third-party certifications help cut through greenwashing. Some of the most relevant ones for pet products include:

• B Corp (whole-business sustainability and social impact assessment)
• GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) for organic fiber products like beds, toys, and collars. Learn more in our guide to sustainability certifications.
• USDA Organic for food and grooming products containing organic ingredients
• PSC (Pet Sustainability Coalition) is an industry-specific membership for brands committed to measurable environmental and social improvement
• Oeko-Tex and MADE SAFE® are both relevant non-toxic certifications used by brands to demonstrate their products are free of harmful toxins.

A single certification doesn’t tell the whole story, so look for brands that are transparent about their materials, manufacturing, and supply chains alongside any certifications they hold. Our guide to Ecocert certification is also worth a read if you’re comparing grooming products.

How To Shift To More Eco-Friendly Pet Products

You don’t need to overhaul everything at once. Poop bags, cat litter, and food are the categories where your choices make the biggest difference day-to-day.

Replace items one at a time as they wear out, check your local thrift stores and community pages for second-hand pet beds and accessories before buying new, and prioritize durable products that last rather than cheap things that you’ll replace every few months.

Conventional flea and tick treatments are among the most chemically intensive products pet owners use regularly.

Most over-the-counter spot-on treatments contain pyrethroids, organophosphates, or neonicotinoids, which are classified as pesticides and regulated by the EPA. The Natural Resources Defense Council has highlighted that these products pose risks not only to pets but also to children and other household members through residue transfer.

Natural alternatives typically use essential oils (like cedarwood, lemongrass, or peppermint), plant-based repellents, and organic ingredients to deter pests. They tend to work as repellents rather than pesticides, which means they may need more frequent application.

It’s worth having a conversation with your vet about what approach suits your pet’s specific needs, especially if you live in a high-tick area, because flea and tick prevention is important for pet health and no approach should be dismissed without considering the risks of not treating at all.

Brands like Butterfly & Bee (featured above) offer a plant-based alternative worth exploring alongside your vet’s guidance.

Are Eco-Friendly Pet Products Worth It?

Yes, for both environmental and health reasons. Eco-friendly pet products are typically made from natural, non-toxic materials that are safer for your pet, your family, and the planet. They also tend to be more durable, which means less waste and fewer replacements over time.

The upfront cost can be higher, but the combination of longevity and reduced exposure to harmful chemicals makes them a good investment as far as we’re concerned.

What Certifications Should I Look for in Sustainable Pet Products?

The most useful certifications for pet products include B Corp (whole-business sustainability), GOTS (organic textiles), USDA Organic (food and grooming), and the Pet Sustainability Coalition membership (industry-specific environmental goals).

How Can I Determine if a Pet Product Is Sustainable and Not Just “Greenwashed”?

Look for clear material disclosures (e.g., “plant-based,” “recycled plastic bottles,” “compostable”). Check whether packaging is minimal, recyclable, or compostable.

See if the brand discloses manufacturing practices and ethics (e.g., renewable energy, fair labour). And verify whether the product performs well and lasts, because durability is a key part of sustainability. If a brand doesn’t or won’t answer those questions transparently, that’s usually a sign of greenwashing (not always, but most of the time).

Where Can I Find Eco-Friendly Pet Products?

Many of the brands featured in this article sell directly through their own websites, which is often the best way to learn about their sustainability practices and find the full product range.

Marketplaces like EarthHero and Etsy also carry curated selections of sustainable pet products. For a broader directory of vetted brands, browse the pets category in our sustainable brand directory. And for zero waste options, our guide to zero waste online stores is a good starting point.

What Is the Most Sustainable Pet Food?

The most sustainable pet food brands use lower-impact ingredients (like organic grains, free-range meats, or plant-based proteins), source transparently, and minimize processing and packaging. Dehydrated formats like The Honest Kitchen’s use less energy to produce and transport compared to canned wet food because of the reduced weight. A 2020 study in Global Environmental Change found that global dry pet food production is associated with 56 to 151 megatons of CO2-equivalent emissions, highlighting why ingredient sourcing and manufacturing efficiency matter.

Are Natural Flea and Tick Products Effective?

Natural flea and tick products can be effective as repellents, though they work differently from conventional chemical treatments. Rather than killing parasites on contact, plant-based options typically deter them using essential oils and botanical compounds.

They may require more frequent application and it’s important to discuss options with your vet, especially in areas with high tick or flea populations, because the right approach depends on your pet’s breed, lifestyle, and exposure risk.

Is It Expensive to Switch to Sustainable Pet Products?

It doesn’t have to be, and if you’re creative you can get almost everything secondhand or reuse what you have. If you do plan to buy new things, start with high-impact swaps like compostable poop bags or natural cat litter, which are competitively priced, and work outward from there. Durable products (like well-made toys) cost more upfront but last far longer than cheap disposable alternatives. Replacing items one at a time as they wear out is more budget-friendly than an all-at-once overhaul.

How Can I Start Going Zero Waste and/or Plastic-Free With My Pets?

Start small. Poop bags are an easy first swap because the compostable options work just as well. From there, try switching to a natural cat litter, choosing toys made from natural materials, and looking for food brands with minimal or recyclable packaging.

The collective environmental pawprint of pets is huge, not to mention potential health impacts from toxic, poorly made products. So as far as we’re concerned, it always makes sense to choose eco-friendly pet products from brands who are putting in the effort to reduce our collective impact on people, pets, and planet.

The shift to eco-friendly pet products doesn’t need to happen overnight. Start with whatever feels most doable for you and your pet, whether that’s swapping to compostable poop bags, trying a natural shampoo, or upgrading to a bed that won’t off-gas while your pup sleeps.

Each change adds up, and the brands on this list make it easier than ever to find products that are thoughtfully made, honestly marketed, and better for everyone involved (four legs or two).

Know some eco-minded pet parents? Share this guide and help spread the word about sustainable pet products that are worth wagging about.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in May 2020. This May 2026 update includes new brands who have been rated by Sustainable Jungle and additional context on sustainability and safety considerations.