Earth Day is upon us. This day represents the perfect opportunity to take a step back and assess how sustainable our lifestyles are and how our choices affect Mother Earth.
For example, do we support eco-friendly brands? Do we try to limit the amount of plastic that contains the products we purchase, especially in single-use packages? Most importantly, do we do our tiny part at least every now and then to make the world a tiny bit better, cleaner, more livable, and sustainable?
At Chews Happiness®, it not just about Earth Day celebration; we started the company to be a sustainable pet treat and products business and social enterprise committed to people, pets, and the planet. That’s why we are providing this guide to help you find sustainable dog treats.
Here are five ways to celebrate Earth Day with sustainable dog treats:
- Say NO to plastics (to the best extent possible)
- Select brands that take action
- Find companies that have been acknowledged for their eco-practices
- Buy products from companies that do Good
- Buy healthy dog treats
We feel that if everyone adopted these standards to at least some degree, Mother Earth would be very much appreciative. We operate our company according to these key standards and we strictly adhere to our sustainability values and principles.
Earth Day Celebration Principle 1: Commit to NO (or at least less) Plastics!
How do pet treats fit into Earth Day celebration? Unfortunately, most pet treats are packaged in plastic bags, which are rarely actually recycled due to poor economics despite any recyclable symbols printed on them. The few treats that are packaged in boxes typically are designed with plastic windows and plastic inside layers, essentially making it unfeasible for them to be recycled. So, most pet treats DO NOT come in packaging that is eco-friendly!
Plastics are amazing materials that revolutionized modern consumer goods. Plastic is resilient and inexpensive.
However, durability is REALLY dangerous for the environment when we inundate it with one-time-use packages comprised of virtually indestructible materials. Primarily produced from fossil fuels, plastics’ low-cost and universal use makes it Mother Earth’s curse.
Let’s all consider the severity of the problem.
As one example, think about these conclusions from a recent study conducted by the nonprofit environmental organization Oceana:
- “Amazon produced an estimated 465 million pounds (211 million kg) of plastic packaging waste in 2019, enough, in the form of air pillows, to circle the Earth over 500 times.
- Up to 22.44 million pounds (10.18 million kg) of Amazon plastic packaging waste polluted freshwater and marine ecosystems in 2019, equivalent to one delivery van’s worth every 70 minutes.
- Amazon plastic packaging waste that reaches the oceans is expected to grow at a much faster rate than sales.”
On Earth Day, as we contemplate how to contribute our tiny part to making the world a better, cleaner place, don’t think that it is only Amazon that is causing our planet to be inundated with plastics resulting in plastic in the air we all breathe and our suffering from plastics’ raining down from the skies.
On Earth Day, don’t think it is just us terrestrial beings who suffer; the oceans are awash with plastic. Plastic disturbs life everywhere on Mother Earth, including whales and other animals that die infused with plastic. Many animals falsely perceive plastic bags for jellyfish, their natural food source.
So, consider that every time we purchase a plastic-encased product we are contributing to the problem…
Plastic lasts in the ecosystem from decades to hundreds of years… So, there is much for all of us to consider the next time we are about to purchase a product in one-time-use plastic packaging!
It is unfeasible to totally eradicate plastic from one’s lifestyle. However, on Earth Day realize that we can make a difference! We can purchase more products with packaging made from recycled & recyclable materials. Moreover, when we have little choice and we must buy products that are packaged in plastic, we can try to purchase bigger containers so that there is less consumption of plastic per unit of product. We can avoid consuming too many products with one-time-use plastic wrappers or containers. And, on Earth Day, we can commit to supporting sustainable brands.
Earth Day Celebration Principle 2: Select Brands That Take Action
So, we saw that packaging is most critical. However, Earth Day isn’t just one day at Chews Happiness! We are proud of our total commitment to Mother Earth.
- We partner with Bhutan, the only carbon negative country on the planet.
- Chews Happiness offsets 100% of its carbon footprint. To date, we have protected over 3,200 trees, are supporting low-carbon lifestyles of indigenous communities in Peru and Guatemala, and are helping to conserve critical habitats.
- We use sustainably sourced organic, and “beyond organic” and pristine ingredients.
- As a social enterprise, we support indigenous peoples and their low carbon footprint lifestyles.
- We design and use eco-friendly packaging in all our treats. Our Barkaron® super healthy Decadent Doggie Dessert® packaging has been approved by the The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) BioPreferred® program. Fashioned from handmade, recycled paper and salvaged cotton, Barkaron Decadent Doggie Desserts packaging is a USDA Certified Biobased package and contains 99% USDA certified biobased content.
So, we go well beyond the norm to be gentle on our home planet. Supporting such companies as ours provides incentives for even more brands to join the sustainable bandwagon. Before you know it, many companies will be celebrating Earth Day every day as we at Chews Happiness do!
Earth Day Celebration Principle 3: Find Companies That Have Been Acknowledged For Their Eco-Practices
Unfortunately, many company practice “greenwashing,” communicating a deceptive sense that their products are eco-friendly. On Earth Day, we are proud of our solid commitment to sustainability. It is this dedication that has earned Chews Happiness, our tiny new company, the Pet Sustainability Coalition’s Top 20 Pet Company Ranking for 2020-2021!
As part of our Earth Day guide, we are providing you with the entire list of top ranking companies HERE. All the top-ranking companies, including Chews Happiness, completed a thorough third-party evaluation overseen by the Pet Sustainability Coalition.
Earth Day Celebration Principle 4: Buy Products From Companies That Do Good
Above all, celebrating Earth Day and championing Mother Earth requires focusing on so much more than packaging and ingredients. At Chews Happiness, our mission is to distribute happiness to you, your pet, people, and the planet. By taking a complete approach we are attempting to establish an endless Happiness Cycle®.
By supporting indigenous herders, farmers, and artisans, Chews Happiness is helping them maintain their traditional, low-carbon footprint lifestyles every day: not just on Earth Day! We have several projects that support indigenous lifestyles. One of our super special flavors is camel cheese from the Gobi Desert. Not only is camel cheese, a Central Asian delicacy, super healthy and loaded with antioxidants, but also it is like chocolate for dogs! They absolutely go CRAZY for it.
Mother Earth (and Your Dog) Loves Camel Cheese!
By purchasing camel cheese, we are helping to support a group of camel herders in the Gobi Desert. The Gobi Desert has experienced more frequent and harsher draughts. Most importantly, this has forced many nomadic peoples to cluster into the one major city in Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar, which now has so many people that it can’t provide them all with heat and shelter.
So, by enabling them to live traditional lifestyles out in the desert, we are providing them with the opportunity to live a lower carbon footprint lifestyle, while saving their camel herds from certain slaughter.
We also support small farmers, beekeeper and women’s cooperatives, small dairy farmers, and yak herders in Bhutan. And, to top it all off, give a minimum of 1% to animal rescue!
So, on this Earth Day, commit to supporting more brands that do Good!
Earth Day Celebration Principle 5: Buy Healthy Dog Treats
You won’t be nurturing Mother Earth if you aren’t contributing to your dog’s long-term health, wellness, and happiness. Certainly, you want treats that you can feel you can give your furry family member while not harming their health. That way you will avoid those nasty plastic pouches and packages and instead buy those eco-friendly boxes again and again, contributing to the never-ending cycle of Happiness!
Our eco-friendly Barkarons are extraordinary! We handcraft them with unspoiled ingredients with potent health benefits. So, on this Earth Day, try healthy dog treats!
Thousands of dogs and their families selected Barkarons as one of the Top Five Pet Products of All Time! And, thousands of publications have exhibited Barkarons!
Sample of Publications Showcasing Chews Happiness Barkarons:
| StarTribune |
| Townhall.com |
| WRAL.com |
| The Arizona Republic |
| Ask.com |
| St. Louis Post-Dispatch |
| Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |
| InvestorPlace |
| The San Diego Union-Tribune |
| WFMZ-TV |
| International Business Times |
| Buffalo News |
| Madison.com |
| Boston Herald |
| Daily Herald |
