According to American Pet Product Manufacturers Association (APPMA) estimates, in 2007 pet owners spent $16.1 billion on pet food—39 percent of total pet expenses.[1] Non-natural or non-organic brands of cat and dog food contain factory farm-raised meat byproducts like organs and bones. Factory farms adversely affect many aspects of the environment, including manure and fertilizer runoff polluting water systems, introducing antibiotics and growth hormones into natural ecosystems, and contributing methane, a greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere. These meat byproducts are joined by chemical preservatives such as BHT, BHA, or ethoxyquin and fillers from oats, wheat, flour, or corn, which have little nutritional value for domesticated animals.
And what goes in must come out. Dog waste contains bacteria and other contaminants that can run off into local waterways and diminish water quality. Picking up waste in biodegradable bags and throwing it in the trash allows the waste to more quickly decompose once it reaches a landfill.
More than 2 million tons of kitty litter is dumped in landfills each year, the weight of five Empire State Buildings.[2] Clay-based litter is usually made of bentonite or attapulgite/montmorillonite, which is mined in unsustainable ways and is known to contain silica. Although it hasn't been shown to directly cause problems in cats, studies have found that cats with respiratory illnesses have six times the amount of silica in their lungs than do healthy cats.[3] Alternative kitty litters containing biodegradable ingredients such such as corn cobs or wheat, eliminate this health risk and lighten the burden that clay-based litters have on landfills.
Pets
Glossary
- BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole): A chemical preservative found in butter, cereals, and beer, among other foods, to prevent fats from becoming rancid.
- BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene): A chemical preservative used to prevent oxidation of foods, allowing them to keep their color, odor, and taste longer.
- ethoxyquin: A pesticide and food preservative that is used in small doses to preserve spices for human consumption, but is allowed in much larger doses for livestock feed and dog food.
- silica: Silica, found in common minerals like quartz, sand, and agate, is naturally occurring, ubiquitous, and chemically unreactive in the environment.
