Ways to reduce the environmental impact of your pet APR 22 Written by: Michael Kowlowitz 04/22/2012 5:45 PM

April Outdoor Living Newsletter

Reduce your pets environmental impact!

At one point or other, all pet owners contribute to their pet's carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly or indirectly support human activities. Simple things such as disposing of your cat's kitty litter and the carnivorous diet we feed our pets negatively impact the environment. Luckily, there are some ways to reduce the environmental impact of our pets. Let's go over some basic ways to make your pet environmentally friendly.

• Use eco friendly and biodegradable products to clean up your pet's feces. Many dog owners use plastic bags to clean up their dog's droppings. However, using plastic bags that are not biodegradable are detrimental to the environment. Check out these eco friendly poop bags. Cat litter too is a strain on the environment. Clay and silica litter can't decompose any further because they are already in their natural state. This means that the roughly 3 million pounds we send yearly to the landfill are just "hanging around". Try this environmentally friendly litter made from recycled paper.
• Use natural and organic pet food. The meat that we eat and give to our pets increases the greenhouse gases released in the atmosphere. Forests are being cleared away for pastures, depleting the planet of trees, which absorb carbon dioxide. Furthermore, cattle and sheep release a vast amount of methane, a potent greenhouse gases. Decomposing manure and the transport costs of the meat are taxing on the environment. If humans can reduce their carbon footprint by eating natural products, why not our pets? Give this natural pet food store a shot.
• Use eco friendly pet cleaning products. The phosphates used in cleaning products such as stain removers and other products are harmful to our environment and health. High phosphate levels can kill life in our rivers, lakes, and streams. This is a real concern and efforts have been made to curb phosphate use. Next time your animal has an accident on the carpet or floor, you might think twice about traditional cleaners. Go to this site for all natural cleaners.

Although we all add to the strain on the environment from time to time, this trend does not have to continue. We give little thought to the environmental impact our pets have. We can take simple measures to assure that we are being as green as possible with both our pets and ourselves. Switching to all natural meat or cleaners are just some of the possibilities in reducing the environmental impact of our pets; this also holds true for humans. In this age of global warming and pollutants, it is imperative that we choose responsibly the products that we use.

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