Listen to this articlePet Supplies Plus, the largest pet retail franchise in The united state, and Wag N’ Wash, the emerging self-wash, grooming and natural pet food franchise, are celebrating a recycling milestone in light of Earth Day. Since announcing a commitment to sustainability in October 2023, the brands collected and recycled three and a half tons of pet product packaging waste by partnering with TerraCycle, the global leader in recycling hard-to-recycle materials. The launch of the partnership marks another milestone as Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N’ Wash are the first pet retailers to join forces with TerraCycle, with recycling stations rolling out at retail locations across the country.
The pet industry produces 300 million pounds of plastic waste annually, and 99 percent of all pet food packaging is thrown away instead of recycled, impacting various ecosystems. When it comes to pet product packaging waste, it’s important to educate pet parents if the packaging belongs in the recycling bin or trash, or if it is contaminated and will be rejected by recycling facilities. To prevent further damage to the environment, Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N’ Wash remain committed to sustainability and educating neighbors on responsible waste management.
Now with in-store recycling programs that offer a free and convenient solution to give pet food, treats and litter bags a second life, Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N’ Wash allow neighbors to practice sustainable practices. Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N’ Wash stores nationwide have collection bins where neighbors can drop off empty plastic pet food, treat and litter bags from any brand for any species of pets. All collected waste is sent to TerraCycle to be cleaned, separated by material type and recycled into raw formats used by manufacturers to make new products.
“Most pet food and treat bags are not accepted by curbside recycling services due to their complex, multilayered packaging, which is often too expensive for local recycling facilities to process, ” said Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle. “As the first major pet retailer in The united state to offer a free recycling program for all brands of pet food packaging, Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N’ Wash are setting a good example for the rest of the pet retail industry.
The in-store recycling program was created to educate neighbors while making an impact in reducing plastic waste. Pet parents can learn more about which products can be recycled on the Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N’ Wash websites.
“We were shocked by how many neighbors came into our stores and contributed to saving three and a half tons of plastic from landfills in the last six months,” said Chris RowlandCEO of Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N’ Wash. “Partnering with TerraCycle is our commitment to reducing waste so that our neighbors and pets can all live in a better world.”
