Last season on my podcast ‘For the Love of Dog’ I chatted with some super smart people about how to easily become a more eco friendly dog owner.

So if your new years resolution was to make little changes to be more eco friendly next year, I hope these super simple tips will help!

1.  Via Ben from Adios Plastic: Compostable & plastic free poop bags

I had no idea that biodegradable poop bags didn’t have to state how long it takes for them to break down – it could be decades! I was also fooled into thinking that biodegradable means good for the environment but a high percentage of them are actually still made of plastic.
Discount code FUR10 on your first order!

Website: https://adiosplastic.co.uk/

2. Via Keri at The Dog and I: Use dog soap instead of shampoo in bottles.

Did you know that if just 1% of dog owners used soap instead of shampoo in a bottle, it would mean there would be 85000 less plastic bottles?

And if that doesn’t convince you, Keri hand makes the most amazing smelling, foamy soap which is easy to rinse off AND kind to your dogs skin and fur. I’m a convert for sure!

Website: https://www.thedogandi.co.uk/ 

3. Via Charlotte at Lamina Animals: Think about how & where your dog accessories are made.

Charlotte is to making the most beautiful linen collars & leads where she can trace back all the materials to make sure that they are ethical & sustainable.

Website: https://laminaanimal.com/ 

4. Via Chichester Council: Don’t flick it!

Until this year, I was under the impression that flicking dog poop under a bush if we were off the beaten path was probably easier on the environment than popping it in a bag. After talking to Chichester Council, who are one of the local councils who run The Green Dog Walkers Scheme, I have since found out that the amount of poop not being picked up can change the balance of the nutrients in our soils. I live in the South Downs where apparently the soil is nutrient poor, where as poop is nutrient rich so it could be quite damaging to the landscape.

Website: https://www.chichester.gov.uk/greendogwalkers 

5. Via Hattie at The Cornish Dog: Litter pickup on your dog walk

I read an upsetting blog post from Hattie about how much she has found on her local beach, even picking up 3 pieces can make a huge difference if you do it every day. There are even organised beach walks with a litter pickup, maybe you could organise your own! Hattie also had the great idea about buying toys and treats and supporting local suppliers rather than shipped in from abroad.

Website: https://thecornishdog.uk

6. Via Monty Dogge: Educate the next generation

Monty has an amazing book called Monty and the Ocean Rescue which turns education on plastics into and adventure! A great idea for a gift too.

Website: https://www.montydogge.com/

7. Via Aneisha at Scrumbles : Buy treats from the UK in compostable bags

I was really impressed that Scrumbles have tried really hard to find an alternative to plastic for their dog treats & dog food packaging. I have seen quite a few of the smaller brands doing this, so they should be easy to find!

Website: https://scrumbles.co.uk/ 

8. Via yours truly! : Reusuable coffee cups

There’s nothing I love more than an early morning dog walk, than an early morning dog walk with a really good coffee. When I added up how many of those reusuable cups I’d get through in a year, it terrified me, so I created my own travel mug because I could’t find any that I liked. The #prettylittlemug movement started, and there are now nearly 150 out in the world! 

Do you think you will try any of these next year? Or do you already do most of them? I’d love to know – drop a comment below.

Kerry x