In the morning when I wake up, I take out my plastic retainers and brush my teeth with my plastic toothbrush. I shower with products in plastic bottles that contain plastic chemicals. I went to the kitchen, poured a bowl of cereal from a box containing a plastic inner lining, and poured milk from a plastic carton. Then I put on some clothes made mostly of polyester and polymix, which is 60% plastic, according to the UN Environment Programme, and put on my plastic trainers to head to the gym. Later, I feed my dog, scooping out dry food from plastic packaging and a few spoonfuls of wet food from a tin coated with plastic chemicals.
But my exposure to plastic is far from over as my car emits microplastics inside and out, with tires releasing a seemingly limitless supply of microplastic particles into the environment. When I arrived at the gym, every piece of equipment there was partially made with plastics, including the gym mats. After a workout, I carefully avoid buying a disposable plastic water bottle but sip from the hard plastic spout of my plastic water bottle. All that time, my dog was at home playing with plastic toys from a plastic basket.
Plastic is all around us, entering every part of our lives. Therefore, it’s no surprise to learn that plastic enters every part of the lives of our beloved pets, too – potentially all one billion of the pets on the planet.
EARTHDAY.ORG published a new report about Pets vs. Plastics, which includes information on the many and varied ways in which plastic can be ingested by our dogs and cats, harming their health. WHY? Because plastic is derived from a cocktail of oil and chemical additives, such as PVC, bisphenol A, PVC and phthalates. These can leach into our pets’ gums, stomachs, and skin and are associated with many health issues for our pets, such as cancers, potential infertility, liver failure, miscarriage, and more. yet.
Here are five takeaways from the report and how you can limit your animals’ plastic exposure.
#1: Pet toys are often made of plastic. Pet toys also often end up in animals’ mouths.
Soft pet toys, bedding, and clothing are made from plastic synthetic fabrics such as polyester that emit microplastics. Even non-polyester toys can still contain microplastics or plastic additive chemicals. For example, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), a hard plastic, and its chemical softener, phthalates, are often included in dog toys. Phthalates are banned in some countries for use in children’s toys and can cause malformations in the reproductive systems of animals. Despite these warnings, pet toys are still not regulated for hazardous chemicals.
To keep your pet safe from the harms of plastic and its chemical additives in toys, you can give your pet toys made of natural materials such as bamboo, organic cotton and natural rubber . Or, you can make your own pet toys using old cotton clothes to safely let your dogs and cats play.
#2: Garbage, dirt, plastic, or restaurant chemicals may be hidden in your pet’s food.
The Truth About Pets website notes that the nonprofit Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which is the body tasked with describing animal feed and pet food ingredients, lists processing waste of food, restaurant food waste, and obtained retail feed in animal feed. They also allow animal feces, by which they mean cow, pig, and chicken feces.
Plastic is not officially ‘allowed’ as an ingredient in pet food in the US but it ends up in pet food through plastic ear tags attached to the heads of animal carcasses. By the way, dust is another ingredient they list as acceptable for your pet to eat!
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is charged with maintaining pet food safety, and they conduct many pet food recalls each year – but these are usually related to salmonella outbreaks and excess that use of Vitamin D, which can be dangerous for dogs and cats. Finding plastics in pet food is not high on their agenda, perhaps because the FDA is only looking into the use of that type of substance after a whistleblower tip.
To ensure the quality and safety of your pet’s food, you can try cooking it from scratch, with your veterinarian’s guidance. Dogs, for example, need protein, fat, minerals and vitamins, which can be found in some of the same foods that humans eat themselves. Just make sure there are no ingredients that are toxic to dogs, such as onions, grapes, or chocolate.
#3: Your pet’s food is wrapped in plastic. It can leak into their food.
Like toys, pet food packaging is often made of plastics, such as plastic pouches. Dog food is often labeled with BPA and cat food cans with PVC, and phthalates may be used to make containers. These plastic cocktails can all leach into pet food and cause health problems for pets. Despite studies showing a link between plastic chemicals and animal health problems, many pet food companies continue to use these ingredients.
If you’re not making your pet’s food from scratch, try to find pet food that’s wrapped in plastic alternatives or plant-based materials, such as waxed paper or bamboo. Small switches can make all the difference in the long-term health of your dog or cat. When you get your kibble home, which is almost always in some sort of plastic packaging, put it in a tin container. The less time your pet’s food is exposed to plastic, the better.
#4: Your four-legged friend is close to the ground, where dust and microplastics lie.
Unless you have a Great Dane, your pets are probably physically smaller and closer to the ground than most of us, babies aside. This puts them at greater and more frequent risk of inhaling the microplastics and microfibers found in dust – which comes from our clothes, carpets, curtains, and furniture, almost all of which are at least partially made of from some type of plastic material.
The best tip is to vacuum often as this is probably the most effective way of controlling and reducing their – and our – exposure to plastic dust! Regular cleaning and dusting prevents dust accumulation. Additionally, using an indoor air filter can reduce microplastics in the home’s air.
#5: The American pet product industry is poorly regulated.
In general, there are no clear or specific laws regulating pet toys in the US. The FDA does not regulate non-food, pet-related products and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says it does not have the authority to protect pets from unsafe products, such as plastic toys, bedding and clothes.
Despite 66% of US households owning a pet, proper regulation has been put on the backburner, so consider asking your local political leaders to do more to protect our pet. In the long run, we must insist on government regulation at a federal level to keep ourselves and our pets safe. Vote for lawmakers who support pet-friendly legislation, and sign the Global Plastics Treaty. Just as people have safety regulations for their food and possessions, so should man’s best friend.
If you’re reading this and wondering, should we really care about our pets, remember that they are considered by scientists to be sentinel animals. Which means their exposure to harmful toxins and particulates mirrors human exposure so what’s bad for our dogs and cats, is ultimately bad for us too.
