Pet waste

Buy loose pet food

Lots of pet shops sell treats and dried food loose, here are some in Derby:

• Trusty Pet Supply Superstore, Kingsway Retail Park, DE22 3FP
• Pets and Friends, Littleover, DE23 6BR
• Supapet, Osmaston Road, DE24 9BR

You can take your own containers and fill up without the single use packaging.

Choose pet food in recyclable packaging

There are simple swaps you can make to help you cut down on the amount of packaging you use and make sure any packaging can be recycled once you have used it.

If loose pet food isn’t an option, look to purchase your pet food in packaging that can be recycled for example, paper bags or tins. Buying in bulk also helps to reduce the amount of packaging that needs to be disposed of.

Most pet shops in Derby will take any clean packaging back.

Please remember, what you feed your pet is vital for their health so make sure you check any dietary changes with their vet first.

Pet accessories and toys

You can find second-hand items for your pets including pet beds, cages, bowls in charity shops, car boot sales and online selling sites like Gumtree, Freegle, Freecycle and Facebook Marketplace.

If you are buying new accessories for your pet, think about the materials they are made of. For example, if you purchase stainless steel food and water bowls, these will last and can also be recycled at the end of their life.

The Pet Superstore on Dunstall Park Road sells toys and accessories without any packaging

Pet hygiene

Bars of soap and shampoo bars for pets and now widely available, and are a great alternative to plastic packaged shampoo.

Pet waste

Options for disposing of pet waste depends on the animals you have.

Dog and cat poo can be composted. Beco Pets has some information on their website on how to compost this waste in either a pile or a normal compost bin. This waste can also be composted in a Green Cone Food Waste Digester along with your other food waste. If you are unable to home compost this waste, please put it into your black bin.

If you have a cat, there are changes you can make with cat litter to minimise the impact on the environment.

If you have smaller pets like hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits that have a vegetarian diet, you can compost this waste, or put it into your brown bin.