16
HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT ONE PAW PRINT AT A TIME NICOLA WORDSWORTH
So, you are trying to be more environmentally friendly! You use less plastic, recycle, and try to be less wasteful, but what about your dog? Do you still buy him lots of toys and grooming products? Have you ever wondered just how eco-friendly your dog really is? It’s a question I asked myself a few years ago when I moved to the coast and could see all the microplastics caught in the seaweed on the beach. It was shocking. And don’t get me started on the poo bags left by bins, halfchewed dog balls and toys, and the polystyrene fish and chip boxes. I’m no eco-warrior, but I thought my dog needed to join me in being a bit more ecofriendly, helping the planet, one paw print at a time! I started by ensuring I was using fully compostable poo bags, not just Earth-
Bertie
friendly bags. Then I looked into changing his toys; Bertie is a shredder; he will do anything to get to the squeaker inside or strip the surface of a tennis ball. I decided there would be no more plastic for him! Just recycled cotton toys or cardboard, no nasty plastic squeakers that go straight in the bin, no plastic cord or shredded fabric destined for landfill. I thought about his grooming products, the shampoos in big nasty plastic bottles that were neither natural nor long-lasting and didn’t leave his coat feeling glossy or shiny. Little did I know that it was to become my business and something I was passionate about.
