For some time now, a movement has upswept the world in terms of sustainability. This movement is known as the circular economy. Surpassing traditional ‘linear’ models that have a ‘take–make–dispose’ approach. A circular economy focuses on slowing down the use of resources, finding ways to reuse, re purpose and extend the longevity of materials. Not only does a circular approach reduce amounts of natural resources used, it also reduces wastes disposed in landfills and greenhouse gas emissions.
Circular economy models support the following three principles-
- Design out waste and pollution
- Keep products and materials in use
- Regenerate natural systems
Design out waste and pollution
At Delivery Hound, we have eliminated single-use plastic and associated pollutants from conception. Australians on average consume 59kg of plastic waste per year. Only 12% of plastic packaging is recycled, with the rest going to landfill.
We knew the harm that problematic plastic was contributing to our environment and found a solution to bypass it. As a bonus, by teaming up with Man’sBest dog food, we have closed the loop further. Man’s Best is produced right here in NSW, using Australian ingredients. Immediately we have reduced carbon emissions by using a home-grown food rather than an overseas import, not to mention all of the associated travel emissions!
Keep products and materials in use
The traditional plastic packaging used in dog food can't be recycled & it's estimated that over the lifetime of 1 dog, a minimum of 96 single-use plastic bags will end up in landfill. Furthermore, this plastic takes over 1,000 years to break down, and, even then, that is only into small plastic particles, known as microplastics. There is now evidence that microplastics are found in our food chain.
Our delivery Hound service has closed this loop. You will only ever need 2 barrels for the life of your dog, the one you are using and the one that we replace this with.
Regenerate natural systems
Keeping single-use plastic out of landfills will reduce the environmental impact and slow down our use of natural resources. A welcomed pause allowing regeneration and time to seek alternative materials.
Our refill approach to supplying quality dog food provides several benefits-
- Reduction to the production of single-use plastic
- Remaining local
- Reduction in emission used to manufacture plastic packaging and transportation
- Delivering a high-quality grain-free dog food
- Flexibility in product flavour swapping
- Flexibilty in delivery
- We collect, clean, and store the empty barrel for you!
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation predicts, Year on year, millions of tonnes of plastic, worth billions of dollars, ends up in landfills, is burned, or leaked into the environment. A staggering 8 million tonnes leaks into the ocean every year — and that number is rising. If we don't rethink its use, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish (by weight) by 2050. A circular economy is the only solution that can match the scale of the plastic pollution problem.
So why haven’t pet food manufacturers changed their resource-hungry, waste contributing practices?
Change is difficult in any shape or form, especially when it is system solutions based. With large corporations, investors will be seeking a return and they are driven by profitability, not sustainability. Certainly, at Delivery Hound, being small is a bonus! For us, achieving sustainability was key to delivering high-quality dog food to like-minded pet owners who value our environment.
Rather than contributing to the planet destroying ‘take–make–dispose’ mentality, think about making a small step that will close the loop on these resource-hungry practices.
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