Sustainability was a founding ideal when we started Percuro. We knew the dog food industry as it stood was unsustainable, and we wanted to create a food that was not only better for our furry friends, but better for the world too.
By using a clean, sustainable protein alternative like our Hermetiaillucens larvae in place of environmentally costly traditional meat, we could produce high-quality dog food with a fraction of the environmental impact of our competitors.
The health and happiness of your pets is paramount, but we wanted to go above and beyond. Our goal was to push for real change in the industry, and greatly minimise the damage it does to nature.
That’s why our dedication goes well beyond just the ingredients we use in our food.
The environmental cost of dog ownership
As much as we love our furry friends, they have an incredible impact on the environment.
Though it’s our fault, not theirs, traditional methods of dog food production - as part of the livestock industry - produce shocking amounts of greenhouse gases, contributing to global warming and climate change. With dogs and cats eating around 20% of the world’s meat and fish, the extra burden is unsustainable.
But the impact of the dog food industry does not stop there. As eco-conscious pet parents might already know, consciously recycling the packaging in which our pets’ food is sold can be a challenge.
It’s what’s outside that counts
Pet food packaging, much the same as the packaging in which we buy our food, has several challenges to overcome with its design.
Packaging needs to be strong and durable, to survive the often rough route from factory to shelves, but it also needs to be cost-effective for the seller. These requirements often supersede recyclability on manufacturers’ list of priorities. There are a few types of common plastics used for packing that help them overcome the first two problems, but not all can be easily recycled.
According to sustainability non-profit WRAP, the UK uses around 75,000 tonnes of primary dog food packaging annually, containing over a million tonnes of wet and dry cat and dog food. It’s thought that only one in every 20,000 single-use food pouches - including dog food pouches - is recycled. That’s a lot of waste going to landfill.
Although the recycling situation for dry food packaging is slightly better, wet food sachets are a particular challenge. The recycling rate for these sachets is staggeringly low, and 50 times lower than that of single coffee cups, according to Packaging Gateway.
How is Percuro different?
We care about what goes into our eco-friendly dog food, but we also care about what’s on the outside. Ensuring our food was sustainable in every possible way was a goal from day one. All our food packaging is 100% recyclable, as part of this drive for sustainability.
The outer boxes we use are made from fully FSC-certified and completely recyclable cardboard, which we source from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits to their local communities.
To ensure food remains fresh and protected, we use a durable interior plastic lining. However, we use mono-material PE plastic, which is widely recycled, unlike multi-layer or foil-lined alternatives of most dog food bags which cannot be separated and recycled. All our packaging is sourced within the EU and is 100% traceable to the source.
Real change
Our recycling pledge is just one part of our push for real change in the dog food industry, and our dedication to making Percuro a truly sustainable dog food option that is better for dogs, owners, and our planet.
To find out more about our sustainability promise, click here, or visit our shop to join the Percuro pack today.
