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Showers with the chance of some thunder in the morning, then skies turning partly cloudy late. High 82F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

A few clouds overnight. Low 54F. Winds light and variable.

I’m so glad you’re communicating with us and raising awareness about plastic pollution. I think we can do a lot better to avoid the use of plastic bags. Many of us are old enough to remember the days before plastic bags were invented. We did just fine without them, using paper, cloth and those knotted string bags. We did not have plastic garbage bags. We used paper grocery bags and lined the bottom with folded newspaper. My mother went even further with this and always emptied the bathroom wastebasket (usually containing tissues) into the bottom, too, as a liner. I still do this and always have.

We can all reuse the plastic bags we must buy. Those of us lucky enough to have animals usually must buy dog, cat, horse and wild-bird food in large bags coated with plastic. Use those for the garbage pail instead of buying the big black trash bags. I can honestly say I have never purchased a plastic bag in my life, although I have reused bags others have given me.

Chock Full o' Nuts sells coffee in recyclable steel cans. It’s a bit more expensive but worth it. Of course, buying in bulk is always a great option, including dish and laundry detergent. You also can make your own dishwasher detergent, it works better than store-bought. Look it up online.

Thanks for giving me a chance to share some ideas. I’m always on a rant about this at home!

I so appreciate hearing from you about your efforts to reduce plastic waste. I hear from lots of people who are trying very hard to reduce their plastic footprint. They too confess to ranting whenever it seems appropriate and sometimes even when it doesn’t! Many who are pet owners, like you, also are frustrated at the lack of plastic-free pet food packaging. I would encourage you to check out Sundays For Dogs. This dog food appears to come in cardboard boxes. You can also buy canned dog and cat food. Many dog treats come in cardboard boxes as well. Choose these over plastic packaging every time!

Pet food packaging is, of course, only one of the problems with sustainable pet ownership. A large concern is the amount of protein cats and dogs consume. According to The Zero Waste Pet (thezerowastepet.com):

“In 2009, a book on sustainable lifestyles came out and claimed that pets’ carbon pawprints are twice the size of gas-guzzling SUVs. In large part, the authors attributed that impact to diet … Producing enough protein to feed the world is nearing the brink of impossibility, and our animals consume vast quantities of that protein.” Shockingly, “The average European cat uses as many resources in his lifetime as the average African (human),” said Jason Clay of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in a presentation to the Pet Sustainability Council. “With the dramatic, exponential growth in human population, that just isn’t sustainable — or even possible. Or reasonable … Cats and dogs consume tons of meat. As we all know, the vast majority of meat production isn’t done in a sustainable or humane manner, compounding the problem even further.”

Pet owners have a responsibility to do their part to reduce the impact their pets are having on the environment and on the health of other humans. Feed your pet less protein by adding vegetables to stretch their food, or consider insect protein (Jiminy’s dog food). I would encourage all pet owners to visit The Zero Waste Pet website or The Pet Sustainability Coalition for many helpful suggestions on how to reduce your pet’s impact on the health of planet Earth. Begin by using plant-based bags to clean up your pets’ messes, and forget about the plastic toys, a bone will serve the purpose better.

Please be the best pet owner you can be by committing to zero waste and sustainability in your pet owning practices! Just being more conscious about the impact each of your decisions has on our planet and on every other living creature, will help. Be mindful, please!

Email lilyfrench83@gmail.com with questions and comments for Lily French.

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