Hey there, pet parents! Christine here – the Sustainability Manager at Petcurean Pet Nutrition, the makers of Go! Solutions premium pet food for dogs and cats. I’m excited to chat about one of my favorite topics: sustainability! At Go! Solutions, we’re not just talking the talk – sustainability is part of our DNA. From our recyclable packaging to our commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, we’re all about making a positive impact on pets, people, and our planet. Let’s dive into the wonderful world of sustainability together!
Go! Solutions’ Commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
At Go! Solutions, we’re committed to aligning our sustainability efforts with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, for the year 2030. They aim to achieve a sustainable future for all and address global challenges like poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice.
These goals provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and our planet. While we try to support all 17 goals, we are particularly focused on supporting SDGs 3, 8, 12, and 13:
- SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-Being: Ensuring healthy lives and promoting wellbeing for the inhabitants of our planet. This includes providing nutritious and sustainable pet food to pets.
- SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth: Promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all. We strive to provide good jobs and safe working conditions.
- SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production: Ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns through eco-friendly initiatives like recyclable packaging and upcycled ingredients.
- SDG 13 – Climate Action: Taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. We work to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and environmental footprint.
By incorporating these goals into our business strategy and aligning our sustainability programs with the SDGs, we can help create positive change on a global scale. The SDGs provide a unifying roadmap for building a more just, sustainable, and prosperous world for both people and pets. We’re proud to support these ambitious global goals and do our part to make the world a better place.
Environmental Sustainability
At Go! Solutions, we believe that sustainability starts with protecting our planet. That’s why we’re dedicated to optimizing our business practices to reduce our environmental footprint.
Last year we started making the switch to recyclable kibble packaging, with the goal of having the majority of our bags recyclable by 2025. It’s not just about reducing waste – it’s about creating a sustainable future where our fur friends can thrive!
But that’s not all – we’ve gone green with insect protein. In 2023, we released our Go! Solutions Limited Ingredient Grain Free Insect Recipe for dogs – an eco-friendly protein option that uses 80% less land and water resources and than traditional proteins in pet food and has a lower carbon footprint. Not only does it benefit our planet, but it’s also a nutritious and delicious choice for your fur baby.
Oh, and speaking of carbon footprints, we successfully reduced our combined Scope 1 & Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by a whopping 40% in 2023 compared to 2022. This is due to our conservation efforts and the gradual transition of our fleet vehicles to hybrids. In the sustainability world, there’s a saying that “you can’t manage what you haven’t measured”, so in 2023, we also undertook the huge task of calculating our Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions (these are the emissions across our supply chain). We will now work on a plan for how to reduce these emissions.
Upcycled Ingredients
We’ve just released our Go! Solutions Benefit Chews for dogs, featuring certified upcycled ingredients. Food waste in North America is a significant issue, with around 60 million tons discarded annually. Upcycling takes “perfectly imperfect” ingredients which come from the human food chain that may be odd-looking or produced in excess. These ingredients typically go to waste, so we put these premium nutrients to use and transform them into tasty treats for our four-legged friends, diverting food waste from the landfills and reducing our environmental impact. It’s a win-win for sustainability and taste buds everywhere!
Go! Solutions Benefit Chews featuring upcycled ingredients are a feel-good way to pamper your pooch while also caring for our planet. They’re already a hit with our furry taste testers.
Giving Back
We believe it’s important to give back to the communities we serve. Through year-round support, we’re uplifting our communities and making a real difference in the lives of pets and their humans. Last year, we donated over 2.4 million meals to rescues, shelters, and food banks to support pets in need. And to date, we have donated over 6.1 million meals. Partnerships and collaboration with organizations like CUDDLY, have helped to make this possible and have been instrumental in amplifying our impact.
We also encourage our employees to volunteer and give back. In 2022, more than half of our employees volunteered their time to support causes and organizations related to pets, the environment, and our local communities.
A CUDDLY Partnership
We’re committed to always putting pets first and our hearts are full when we partner with organisations who care about the welfare of pets as much as we do. That’s why we were thrilled to kick off a new partnership in 2022, proudly becoming the exclusive kibble provider for CUDDLY. This partnership allows us to support countless animal welfare groups across CUDDLY’s global network, and deliver the best possible nutrition, which aligns with our own values.
Through collaborations such as “CUDDLY Christmas” (which featured CUDDLY animals in need), and other initiatives year-round, this incredible partnership has touched the lives of hundreds of rescue dogs and cats, supporting their recovery as they await their forever homes. Our efforts bring immense relief to animal rescues inundated with challenges – knowing that the nutritional needs for the pets in their care, are being handled with care, lightens their load significantly.
When rescues partner with CUDDLY, they can be confident that Go! Solutions pet food will deliver the nutrition and dietary solutions their pets need. Similarly, when animal lovers engage with CUDDLY – whether through CUDDLY’s website, or supporting an in-store CUDDLY/Go! Solutions promotion – they can rest assured that the people behind both of these organizations share a deep commitment to the happiness and welfare of every pet in the rescue community, as much as they do.
Awards and Recognition
I am proud to share that we received recognition for our sustainability efforts in 2023. Here are a few of the awards we received:
- First, Petcurean won the inaugural 2023 John & Kelly Ayres – Philanthropy Award. This award acknowledges our Company’s active support for animal and pet business advocacy issues within the pet community.
- Second, I was a recipient of SustainabilityX® Magazine’s 2023 Global 50 Women In Sustainability Awards, which acknowledges trailblazing women with outstanding dedication to championing sustainability and actively shaping a brighter, greener future.
Transparency
Transparency is a core value of ours. We believe in being open, honest and transparent with our sustainability practices, goals and progress.
That’s why each year, Petcurean publishes a Sustainability Impact Report that provides a comprehensive look at our sustainability efforts. The report outlines our key performance indicators and results across critical areas like environmental stewardship, social responsibility and governance.
Through annual reporting, we’re able to transparently communicate our sustainability achievements, while also highlighting areas that need more focus. We welcome feedback from our customers, partners and the community on how we can continue improving. For us, transparency means taking responsibility and fostering trust.
Consumer Choices
As pet parents, your choices can also contribute to a more sustainable future. Here are some tips on how you can be a sustainability superhero for your furry friends and our planet:
- Choose sustainable proteins: Opt for proteins like insect, chicken, or fish, which have a lower environmental impact than beef. Our insect recipe 8/7is a great planet-friendly choice!
- Reduce packaging waste: Look for brands that use recyclable, compostable, or reusable packaging. Bonus points if you purchase wet food in Tetra Pak cartons which are not only recyclable, but are also made with 69% FSC-certified paperboard AND have a significantly lower environmental impact than cans.
- Donate unused pet food: If you have unopened bags that you no longer need, donate them to a local shelter or rescue organization. Many groups will also accept opened bags in the event that your pet’s tastes have changed or your beloved furry friend has crossed the rainbow bridge.
- Organize a toy swap: When pets become bored with toys, organize a toy swap with your friends. Toy swaps reduce waste and contribute to a culture of sustainability, sharing resources within a community to avoid unnecessary purchases.
- Conserve resources: Simple steps like turning off lights, taking shorter showers, and line-drying your pet’s bedding and blankets can reduce your environmental paw print.
- Get involved: Volunteer or donate to your local shelter or rescue group. Education and collective action create change.
- Spread awareness: Share sustainability tips with other pet parents, along with your favourite, positive brands (like us!) who are doing their part.
By making sustainable choices each day, your actions have a ripple effect on the health of our planet. Because when pet parents join together, we make the world a better place for all our furry, scaly, and feathery friends.
Sustainability Shelter/Rescue Strategies
Having volunteered at my local animal shelter for many years, I know that money is always tight, and animal health and well-being is the first priority. There are however, some simple and often inexpensive (or free) ways to green-up your organization, for the readers here who are involved in animal rescue:
- Implement energy-saving practices: When lights burn out, replace them with energy-efficient lighting (LEDs).
- Engage volunteers: Implement a recycling program for plastics, paper, metal, and glass.
- Promote sustainable pet care: Educate adopters on sustainable pet ownership practices – ex. DIY tug toys, toy swaps, sustainable pet food and treats.
- Sustainable landscaping: Use native plants that require less water and upkeep. You can also create pollinator-friendly gardens to support bee conservation.
- Eco-friendly transportation: Encourage staff and volunteers to use public transportation, cycle, or carpool.
- Food waste: Reduce food waste through proper planning and storage of pet food.
Conclusion
The past few years have been an incredible journey in sustainability for us. We’ve made great strides, from starting the switch of our kibble bags to recyclable bags, to donating millions of meals to pets in need. One of the most rewarding parts has also been connecting with you, our wonderful community of pet parents and animal advocates. Thank you for joining us on this sustainability adventure. Together, through our collective actions and choices, we can nurture a brighter future – for pets, people and our one precious planet. To stay up to date on our latest news and Impact Reports, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok. And to read our latest Sustainability Impact Report in its entirety, please click here. Cheers to continuing our sustainability journey together!
About the Author
Christine is the Sustainability Manager at Petcurean Pet Nutrition, a Canadian company that creates premium-quality pet food recipes for dogs and cats through its family of flagship brands including: Go! Solutions®, Now Fresh®, Gather™ and Summit™. She has been passionately leading the sustainability charge for the past five years, and she holds a Masters Certificate in Corporate Sustainability from Harvard University. She leads with an open door approach, and is always keen to learn about sustainability ideas and hear ideas from pet lovers.
Christine loves all animals and feeds the neighbourhood skunks, squirrels and community cats that pass through her backyard. She has been fostering palliative cats for over 10 years, and shares her home with her husband and a spunky rescue cat, Piper.
