The pet industry completed its first coordinated plastic waste recovery campaign in July, with participating brands collectively removing 92,000 pounds of plastic from four critical ecosystems across Kenya, India and Indonesia.
The Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC) partnered with rePurpose Global to launch Plastic Recovery July, which aimed to recover 250,000 pounds of nature-bound plastic. The initiative protected coral reefs, Himalayan foothills and mangrove forests while supporting over 1,070 waste workers.
The campaign addressed plastic pollution in an industry that uses over 300 million pounds of plastic packaging annually, with 91% ending up in landfills, oceans or nature.
"While going completely plastic-free isn't yet feasible for many in our industry, we're redefining the widely known 'Plastic Free July' to 'Plastic Recovery July' to reflect what's possible now," organizers stated in campaign materials.
The recovery efforts spanned four projects across three countries. Project Bahari Safi in Lamu, Kenya protected 62% of the country's vital mangroves by converting island waste into artisanal furniture and traditional boats, employing 49 waste workers. Project Pavitra Parvat in Uttarakhand, India safeguarded Himalayan tiger and elephant habitats through community-led cleanups involving 29 waste workers.
In Indonesia, Project Laut Yang Tenang in West Java addressed the country's flexible plastic crisis while protecting biodiverse coral zones with 174 waste workers. Project Hara Kal in Kerala, India employed 820 waste workers and empowered over 800 women while improving waste services for more than 700,000 people.
The campaign used rePurpose Global's Verified Plastic Recovery protocol, which tracks plastic waste collection and processing end-to-end. Since 2016, rePurpose Global has recovered over 77 million pounds of plastic through its worldwide network of projects.
Participating brands included American Pet Products Association (APPA), PetSmart, Only Natural Pet, Royal Canin (a division of Mars Petcare), Earth Animal, Earthwise Pet, Ollie, Morris Packaging, Augie Bones, Printpack, Bimini, Material Motion and Polka Dog.
