Testing has begun!

The Pet Sustainability Coalition collected over 5,000 lbs. of pet food bags during the Flex Forward recycling pilot program  – that’s a lot of bags!  And thanks to you, Pet Pros received the EARTH HERO award for collecting the most packaging among multi-store Flex Forward partners! We have the best customers and want to say thank you for supporting this pilot program at your neighborhood Pet Pros. It brings us so much joy to see you support this mission. Because of your recycling efforts, thousands of pounds of packaging have been kept out of the landfill!  And, most importantly, invaluable information is being gathered to lay the groundwork for an industry-wide packaging recycling program. Now that Phase 2 of Flex Forward has begun, the Coalition has started to run the packaging material through recycling trials. During this testing phase they will gather data on everything from safety to cost to environmental benefits to determine next steps. We loved being a part of Phase 1 of the Flex Forward Recycling Program, and are excited to see what Phase 2 brings. We will continue to keep you updated on the progress!

All about the program

The Pet Sustainability Coalition estimates that 99% of all pet food and treat bags end up in landfills.  Their goal is to improve the sustainability of pet product packaging, and the Flex Forward pilot is a first step towards identifying a viable industry solution. We are grateful to the industry leaders who are driving this initiative to make a difference!  Thank you to:  Earth Animal, The Pet Sustainability Coalition, Pet Food Experts Distribution, recyclers, US-based manufacturers, retailers, and pet parents. To learn more about the Flex Forward program, please see our earlier post.  Or, check out the Recycling Pilot FAQs or talk with any of our team members.  And, stay tuned for updates!