4-Legger's Packaging and Why We Use the Containers We Use

It seems that big brands are trying to use packaging and the marketing of packaging to lead consumers to purchase their product over other brands. 

Recently my favorite vegetarian breakfast sausage packaging changed from a recyclable box to a double lined resealable bag that is not recyclable.

On the bag there was a symbol that took me to a website called How2Recycle that talked about making your company, "stand for the betterment of this planet. Small changes bring large improvements. How2Recycle membership demonstrates a commitment to sustainability, leadership in your field, and helps you connect with your consumers in a new and meaningful way.

*" [Membership by the way started at $3,000/year for a small business.]

While I don't disagree that we must recycle and choose the products we purchase to have the lowest environmental footprint, I can't help but wonder if this new corporate sustainability kick is more about marketing and not actually doing anything better for our planet - as is the case with my veggie sausages.

The company who makes my sausages (which turned out to not be the small company I thought it was but rather one of the massive companies that owns that brand),  said the new packaging helps keep the food fresher longer to reduce food waste. 

I chewed on that idea for awhile.

I had a dedicated re-usable container that my box of veggie sausages went into once it was opened. Now I have a bag that goes into the trash. 

Do I feel good about it? No. I don't like the idea of taking my cloth bags to the grocery store to purchase a product in a bag that goes into the trash.

It is time to find a new brand of veggie sausages!

What Packaging Does 4-Legger Use and Why? 

By now you are probably wondering what sausages have to do with 4-Legger's packaging for our organic dog shampoo.

Selecting packaging is not as easy as you'd think because there are so many factors to consider - safety and integrity of the product, energy costs for development and recycling, transportation costs, recycling sorting and handling costs, and more. 

While aluminum containers seem very attractive, for shampoo they often have a plastic neck or liner needed to maintain product integrity making the bottles harder to recycle and increasing the weight for transportation as well as the recycling sorting and handling costs. 

4-Legger Uses Zero Waste Packaging

Our liquid organic dog shampoo is bottled in BPA free, safe and non-toxic PET LDPE and HDPE plastics - the safest plastic available on the market today and the best fit for our 100% biodegradable organic dog shampoo.

We like them because they are safe, strong, versatile, lightweight, shatter-resistant and recyclable. They are also resistant to mold, mildew, rotting and insects. They are also cost effectively recycled. 

The bottles are approved as safe for food and beverage by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and similar regulating agencies throughout the world. PET has been used to package beverages, food, and shampoo for over 35 years. 

We ask you to recycle or reuse our bottles.

What is PET? 

PET or polyethylene terephthalate is a plastic resin and the most common type of packaging for beverages, food items and other consumer products like our safe and non-toxic organic dog shampoo.

Up to 100% of a PET bottle can be made from recycled PET, and the material can be recycled again and again.

A 2015-2016, study by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) to assess the availability of recycling programs in the United States and the types of packaging accepted in those programs found that over 90 percent of the U.S. population has PET bottle recycling programs available to them and over 60 percent has non-PET bottle container recycling programs available. PET bottles can be recycled over and over and over... 

PET never contains or produces Bisphenol A (BPA), dioxins or plasticizers.

Packaged in PET: 

• 4 oz organic dog shampoo
• 8 oz organic dog shampoo
• 16 oz organic dog shampoo
• paw balm
• 8 oz organic dog shampoo

Packaged in LDPE (low density polyethylene - thinner and more flexible):

• Dental Powder

Packaged in HDPE (high density polyethylene - thicker and more rigid): 

• Gallon sizes of our organic dog shampoo

Recycling Packaging Material

Since we're on our soapbox about recycling, did you know you can recycle plastic bubble shipping packages, air pillows, and plastic film (like what is on toilet paper)?

You can. Not in your neighborhood recycling program but at a local store.

You can use this website to find the locations near you where you can take these materials to recycle: https://www.plasticfilmrecycling.org/recycling-bags-and-wraps/find-drop-off-location/ 

Last but not least, a word about the glass bottles we use for our safe and non-toxic touch up deodorizing sprays. They are made from Miron glass that allows only infrared and UVA light (ultraviolet light) to penetrate. The glass' natural ability to block unwanted light helps to retain our high quality organic ingredients from deteriorating  in sunlight, thus increasing shelf life and allowing us to eliminate harmful preservatives in the formulation. Very few companies use this glass due to the high cost. We know the extra expense is worth the cost so you don't spray toxic preservatives on your dog! The bottles are re-usable and recyclable.