Choosing eco-friendly dog toys is a wonderful way to spoil your furry companion while also being kind to the planet. Remember, Earth is the only place where our beloved dogs live!
In this review, we’re covering how our dog toys impact the environment, how to switch to eco-friendly alternatives and a review of the seven of the best eco-friendly dog toy brands to choose from.
Let’s bound right in!
Pet Toys and the Environment
Dogs are too pure for this world. There’s nothing that really compares to the pure, unadulterated joy of a dog enjoying themselves with their favorite toy!
Unfortunately, the toys themselves are not quite so wholesome – for your pupper’s health and the health of the planet.
The materials they’re made from and the chemicals used in the manufacturing process can be toxic to your pet and the environment. Much like fast fashion and poor production processes used to make clothing and human toys.
The difference is that human products are much more strictly regulated for health and safety. Pet Products in the US, especially non-food products, have little to no regulation at all!
When it comes to the environment, our pets leave a much bigger pawprint than most of us realize. The carbon emissions and environmental impacts of the pet food industry alone have a huge impact on climate, deforestation, and water pollution.
Dog toys and accessories also impact the earth in many undesirable ways. Materials, manufacturing, and distribution can all contribute to excessive carbon emissions, pollution, and waste.
So, how can we do better, for our fur-babies and for the earth? And what, exactly, makes a dog toy eco-friendly?
Check out this video review by ECO BOOST of some eco-friendly dog toys to see what this very good boy loved and why, and then we can see how to choose a great eco-friendly toy for your best friend:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWJiv-xDZjw[/embedyt]
How to Choose a Great Eco-Friendly Dog Toy
Here is what to look out for when you’re choosing your eco-conscious canine’s new favorite toy:
- Sustainable materials: bamboo, hemp, cotton, wood, antlers, and natural rubber are great options. Especially if they’re from ethical and sustainable sources.
- Recycled and upcycled materials: reducing waste is a key aspect of eco-friendliness. Toys made from recycled plastic or upcycled materials like fabric offcuts and old clothing are good options to consider.
- Non-toxic: choose products that are transparent and state exactly why they’re non-toxic and what substances they do use. This includes the dyes and pest-resistance treatments that are commonly used.
- Durable: any toy that won’t last long and need to be replaced over and over is not the best option for the environment. Sometimes, even a toy that is not strictly eco-friendly, like KONG toys, is still a great option – just because they last so long!
- Responsible disposal: all toys will eventually run out of playtime. Choose options that are biodegradable (ideally, home compostable) or can be recycled. More than a few toys will also be literally eaten, in whole or in part, so choosing a non-toxic and safe-to-swallow option is important too.
- Fun: choosing a toy your dog will love to play with ensures that it will be in use for as long as possible. Many dogs prefer natural fibers and materials to synthetic ones. They also love toys that are interactive and unpredictable. Whether that means having a (usually hooman) friend on the other end, or a ball with an irregular bounce.
Ok, so now that you know what to look for (and what we looked for when doing this review), let’s take a look at some great brands that are doing good and making awesome eco-friendly dog toys:
7 Awesome Eco-Friendly Dog Toys and Accessories
This is our selection of the best brands for eco-friendly dog toys. From bounce and squeak to stylish and sleek, there is something here that your pupper will love:
1. Eco & Woof
Eco & Woof make the most beautiful, thoughtfully designed, eco-friendly dog toys and accessories. Founded by designers and passionate dog-moms, Lotem and Efrat, Eco & Wolf embodies their love of dogs, design, fashion, and preserving the environment.
All their products are made from natural materials and contain no plastic and no harmful toxins.
Using mainly canvas and cotton, their products are thoughtfully made (some by hand), right down to the smallest details. They even use 100% biodegradable and recyclable packing!
About Their Eco-Friendly Dog Toys:
We love Eco & Woof’s handmade and individually dyed 27cm/9in rope balls! They’re made of natural cotton, dyed with non-toxic dyes that are completely safe for your dog – no matter how many hours it spends in its mouth! We also love that their packaging is minimal and completely recyclable – great for your pet, and great for the earth!
2. Ware of the Dog
Ware of the Dog is a creative, funky, and high-end dog toy and accessories brand based in New York City. They make gorgeous dog toys, as well as bowls leashes, collars, and clothing.
They work with natural materials, like organic cotton, and only use natural, non-toxic vegetable dyes. All their packaging is made using recycled and recyclable materials.
Their products are made by fair trade artisans and craftspeople from disadvantaged communities in countries like Nepal and Turkey, which makes them an eco-friendly and ethical brand to support!
About Their Eco-Friendly Dog Toys:
Ware of the Dog’s toys are bright and incredibly cute, from organic cotton hand crocheted ladybugs to lambs wool felted balls and felted crocodiles. They’re all made from natural, biodegradable materials, and dyed with safe-to-ingest OEKO-TEX Certified non-toxic dyes.
3. West Paw
West Paw makes a wide range of great eco-friendly dog toys. Their patented materials are non-toxic, BPA-free, phthalate-free, latex-free, and FDA compliant. They also use recycled plastic and recycled polyester fabric to make their products.
Their fabric, stitching, and zippers are all OEKO-TEX standard 100 certified too, which ensures that they’re completely safe and non-toxic.
West Paw is a Certified B Corp company, ensuring the strictest levels of environmental, social, and ethical responsibility.
About Their Eco-Friendly Dog Toys:
West Paw’s eco-friendly dog toys include bouncy rubber chews, puzzle toys and soft plush toys.
Their products are all made from recycled plastics that are certified as safe for your pup to chew on. The plastic they use is diverted from landfills and reclaimed from ocean pollution. They also use recycled polyester, which diverts the plastic fabric from landfills too.
West Paw’s toys are virtually indestructible, but if your super-pup does manage to make the impossible possible, they’re completely recyclable!
4. Spunky Pup’s Clean Earth Recycled Toys
Spunky Pup’s Clean Earth Recycled Toys collection is made entirely from recycled plastic water bottles. The collection includes a variety of super cute plush squeaker toys, hard chew toys, and rope toys.
Every Clean Earth toy diverts up to 12 plastic water bottles from ending up in a landfill or littering the natural environment. Every part of every toy, even the stitching, and stuffing, is made from recycled plastic.
About Their Eco-Friendly Dog Toys:
Clean Earth plush toys, chew toys and rope toys are all made entirely from recycled plastic. They are hardwearing and will last even a highly enthusiastic doggo a long time. However, once they’re ready to be retired, they are 100% recyclable – infinite loop, zero guilt!
5. Harry Barker
Harry Barker has a range of different toys and, tools and accessories for stylish and eco-conscious pups! They have everything from super cute plush toys to bowls and beds, and even shampoos and brushes.
They carry a variety of material types and some are less sustainable than others. However, they have a really nice range of earth-friendly fabrics that are dyed with azo-free dyes, and some of the fillers are made of 100% recycled plastic.
As a company, they also donate to and support several causes and charities, so they get some brownie points for ethics and social responsibility too!
About Their Eco-Friendly Dog Toys:
Harry Barker’s plush toys, rope toys, and stuffed animals are all incredibly cute and beautifully finished. They’re made from mainly natural materials and are dyed with non-toxic dyes.
Their toys vary from style to style, so be sure to check out the eco-credentials of each toy before you buy.
6. Beco Pets
Beco Pets’ products is a UK brand that combines great product design with environmental responsibility to make eco-friendly dog toys that are fun and interactive. They use natural materials, which are sourced as locally as possible, like bamboo, natural rubber, corn starch, silicone, recycled plastic, hemp, rice husks, and recycled cotton.
They also contribute to animal welfare causes and charities, bleach clean-ups, and other environmental causes. They’re an Ethical Award Winner from the Ethical Company Organization.
About Their Eco-Friendly Dog Toys:
Beco makes rubber treat balls and chew toys, hemp rope toys, and a range of sweet little plush toys. They use natural materials that have been sustainably and responsibly sourced, from as close to home as possible.
Beco toys are built-to-last, which makes keeps them out of the trash for as long as possible. They’re also mainly biodegradable, so even when you do eventually have to throw them out, you can do so with a clean conscience.
7. Honest Pet Products
Honest Pet Products was born when the founder’s beloved Yorkies just couldn’t get enough of playing with a drinks coaster. They had loads of fancy toys, but the humble fabric coaster was the one her dogs loved most. From there, Honest Pet Products was born.
Their whole philosophy can be summed in their slogan ‘True to our Pets, True to our Planet and True to our People’. They use only natural materials to make safe and healthy toys, which are mainly made from sustainable hemp and wool, and their products are all biodegradable. The Wisconsin-based company employs people in Wisconsin, as people in poor regions like the Gobi Desert and Nepal.
About Their Eco-Friendly Dog Toys:
Honest Pet Products’ dog toys include a range of soft toys, squeakers, fetch toys, and chew toys. They are made from sustainable hemp fabric and organic wool. Their toys are biodegradable and completely safe for your pet, even if they eventually get chewed up completely!
Final Thoughts and Our Two Top Picks
All the companies on this list make great eco-friendly dog toys and it’s difficult to pick the best. They’re all doing good for the environment and for our dogs, creating sustainable and long-lasting toys that will bring hours and hours of joy to us and our best furry friends.
That said, two stand out as proving something extra special. They’re very different, but no matter what you and your pup prefer, one of these will have tails wagging and hearts happy for hours!
Here are our two top picks:
Top Pick #1: Eco & Woof
We love the simplicity and chic design of Eco & Woof’s products. They’re beautiful and sophisticated, while also being great quality and eco-friendly. They use only non-toxic components and natural fibers. Their balls are handmade and dyed, using organic cotton and non-toxic dyes. What beats the pure joy of a game of fetch or happy chewing on a soft, textured ball that is both good for your pup and good for the planet?
Top Pick #2: West Paw
We love that West Paw uses recycled plastics and materials that are certified safe for your pet for all their toys. They’re removing plastic from the environment and diverting plastic from landfills to be made into super durable and super fun toys, that will last for a long time and can be recycled again. This is great for the earth and great for endless fun and love for our good, good doggos!
References and Useful Resources
Chopper and Otis: Everything You Need to Know About Eco-Friendly Toys
Good On You: What Are the Most Sustainable Fabrics?
Life with Pets: How Dog Toys are Impacting your Dog’s Health and the Planet
Recycle Nation: Chew This, Not That: Safe and Sustainability-Minded Toys
Sustainable Jungle: Zero Waste Dog Care: A Tail-wagging Guide to Keeping Paws Off Plastic
Vox: Are Our Pets Gobbling Up the Planet?
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a dog toy eco-friendly?
Eco-friendly dog toys are toys made with sustainable materials, like natural fibers or recycled materials, that made in ways that the least environmental impact possible. There is often an overlap between eco-friendly, sustainable and ethical, so most eco-friendly dog toys are also more sustainable and ethical than their conventional counterparts. Check the full review for more info.
What are the best eco-friendly dog toys?
Our selection of the best brands for eco-friendly dog toys is:
1. Eco & Woof
2. Hi JAC
3. Ware of the Dog
4. West Paw
5. Spunky Pup - Clean Earth Recycled Toys
6. Harry Barker
7. Beco Pets
8. Honest Pet Products
Check out the full review for more info on these brands, what makes them eco-friendly and what toys they make.
Are there biodegradable dog toys?
Yes. Plus toys made from natural fibers (including the stitching and stuffing), like hemp, cotton and wool are biodegradable. Chew toys made from wood, bone or antlers are also biodegradable. Natural rubber chew toys will break down in nature but they take a very, very long time to do so. Check out the full review for some great biodegradable dogs toys.
