How To Spot Greenwashing

With worry for the planet increasing, many people are looking to purchase from greener and more environmentally friendly companies. Our ethos has always been to put sustainability first and we have gone through quite the journey to get there.

However, with many companies now feeling pressure to be seen as green, it is important to be aware of the presence of Greenwashing.

What is Greenwashing?

This relatively new word describes companies that market themselves or their products as ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘sustainable’.

These brands then mislead consumers into buying their products with the promise they are better for or will actively help the planet. The reality is many brands spend more money on convincing their customers they are green, than on becoming a more sustainable business.

It is remarkably easy to fall for expensive advertisement campaigns. Although businesses are held to account for this way of gaining customers, it is still easy to buy from a brand that isn’t as green as they make out.

Both pet and human food industries have a huge amount of responsibility when it comes to the impact that livestock farming has on the world. With this in mind, we want to help pet parents avoid supporting those who greenwash and are not committed to real change.

Here are four things to consider before buying a pet product or food.

Look for Recyclable Packaging

Check which materials are being used to package that product. Many pet and human brands simply don’t use sustainable packaging. Some are made with single use plastic that ends up on landfill and some will be recyclable but only at specialist centres.

The first step towards a company being greener is making sure any packaging can be reused and recycled easily. Being able to pop your packaging in your outside recycle box or taking your used packaging along to your local pet shop, makes the process straightforward.

The easier it is to recycle, quite simply the more people that will do it. Pet companies should be empowering and enabling their customers to recycle their packaging.

We are proud to have 100% recyclable packaging. Our food bags are simple to recycle at kerbside and the plastic packaging can be reused again and again.

The same ethos has been applied to our compostable paper pouches and the widely recycled Tetra Pak containers that we use for our delicious wet pates. 

Support Reforestation

There will always be some impact from businesses, usually from the transporting of goods across the country or world.  

Supporting conservation and reforestation efforts across the globe goes a long way in protecting our future. This act of giving back to the planet should be a seen as a positive step by companies.

However, alongside this it is important the company is changing their business from the inside and genuinely working to make all their practises as green as possible.

Here at Yora, we help fund two amazing sustainable associations: The Southern Cardamom Rainforest Project in Cambodia and The Kariba Project in Zimbabwe. These incredible projects help protect rainforests from illegal logging and the natural habitat of many wild species.

The Meat Source

Did you know according to the United Nations, one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse emissions is meat production?

The farming of livestock has a monumental impact on greenhouse gasses and traditional meat and fish is still used heavily across the pet food industry. This is why by choosing to feed nutritious insects you are making the truly sustainable choice.

The United Nations have set out Sustainable Development Goals – a call for action from countries around the world to improve poverty and tackle climate change. Our wonderful insect producers Protix support this mission and have identified their own set of sustainable goals that link back to these SGGs.

Ultimately by harvesting insect protein there is less reliance on fishing and less land being used for food.

Did you know one tonne of our nutritious grubs can be grown in only 14 days? This is using only an area of 20 square metres. Insects take less water, land and energy to farm and produce. In fact, they are even better for the environment than common plant alternatives such as soya. Check out our Vegan Blog to find out more.

Check the Company

When it comes to pet food and products there are many smaller businesses that exist out there creating wonderful sustainable items for our furry friends.

However, it is important to be aware of those companies that masquerade as smaller than they are. All businesses have environmental responsibility; however, the largest corporations have the biggest responsibility to change.

These huge companies overwhelmingly have the biggest impact on the planet. So, it is worthwhile knowing if your favourite dog toy brand is a small business OR owned by a huge company with links to different industries.

Remember the environmental statement put forth on the individual brands website, or on the packaging itself, might not add up to the efforts of the whole company.

Let us know if you have any other tips on avoiding the greenwashers or fabulous tips on being greener, tag us on social media and using #yoraexplorers