A path to sustainable pet products

We're on the road! #buslife - a cartoon illustration of Kat, her husband, and dogs in their purple bus

Austin and Kat began with a goal to create the brightest future for pets and our planet. I started baking simple biscuits at home using my prized hemp extracts - popping them in a biodegradable cellophane bag with a handwritten(!) instruction card, before tying it all up with a piece of string and delivering to friends and local stores. Everything was so simple and innocent. As we grew and became the company we are today, I began to learn how the pet supplements “industry” worked, and the massive amounts of plastic that get consumed.

Since starting Austin and Kat I’ve had my eyes opened to not only the changes the pet food industry can make, but the changes that we can all make. Little things add up, and over the past few years I’ve been more conscious of the energy and consumer habits of my family.

Three of my four girls have all left home and I’ve been downsizing a bit, and this summer we've completely changed things up. I’ve packed up Moxey, Blanca, Harper, and Austin all into a converted school bus to drive across the country for a year.

We’ve built the bus to be as energy efficient and as self-sustaining as possible which meant our nights have been spent reading up on everything from recharging batteries to getting the best shower using the least amount of water…There’s LOTS to do before we get things where we want them to be, but we're making our way and building our path forward.

Illustrations of Kat, her husband, and dogs beneath a wind turbine at sunset.

our path to sustainable pet products

Kat and her black lab, Austin, hiking in the Pacific Northwest

Here at Austin and Kat we are committed to creating the brightest future for our pets and the planet. We select farms, fisheries, and producers that uphold the highest ethical standards because of the clear difference in quality. We’re also just as passionate about finding the most sustainable and environmentally friendly ways to run our business, from sourcing the best packaging to working to reduce the footprint in our Seattle Makery.

Although we’re only a small company, we’re able to move quickly and make positive changes that we believe will influence others to step up and do the same. It starts by creating an awareness about the impacts of waste and pollution while spreading the word that small incremental changes add up to make a real difference.

We’re holding ourselves accountable to ambitious science-backed goals that will drastically reduce our carbon footprint over the next 5 years, but we still have a lot to learn about the most effective ways to reduce our impact. To help, we've partnered with the PSC, the leading voice in pet sustainability, to ensure we’re educated on the latest manufacturing and packaging insights.

what is the PSC?

As a collaborative accelerator, the Pet Sustainability Coalition is a collection of like-minded and world renowned partners that educate, inspire, and push our industry on its journey toward sustainability. The PSC has worked on a number of important projects, including developing guidelines for sustainable pet products, reducing the use of plastic bags by pet owners, and promoting adoption instead of buying pets. We're proud to join them on their quest to help more animals while supporting the environment.

learn more

Sustainable Development Goals

We've also partnered with the PSC to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. As a woman-founded company we are proud to regularly assess our social impact and look for ways to create opportunities for improving conditions for our employees and neighbors, from workplace diversity to increased living wages.

We believe companies must understand where they are today, set science-based targets for reduction, develop strategies to achieve their targets, and always monitor their progress.

THIS YEAR'S FOCUS:

So what does sustainable manufacturing look like?

That's a really important question! Responsible manufacturing extends far beyond delivering safe products with high quality ingredients - pet companies should do everything they can to limit their carbon footprint and to try and make a difference for the environment. We're all in this together! At Austin and Kat we've always put pets before profits and we're super proud to provide support to dogs and cats that don't have a voice of their own. Mother Nature also needs our help and we're working to give the planet a voice, too. It all starts with developing a keen awareness about the long-term impact of waste and pollution while spreading the word that small incremental changes can add up to so much more. From ethically sourced ingredients to sustainable packaging, we're working to reduce waste and limit the amount of trash contributed to landfills. An incredible 99% of pet food and treat packaging goes to landfills each year. Most plastic packaging is cheap and cannot be recycled which means a staggering 300 million pounds of plastic waste ends up discarded, but there are new alternative solutions that are gaining awareness.

A lot of companies spend a little cash to connect themselves with 'greenwashing' initiatives that are better at marketing than they are at actually making a difference. Not us - we're truly invested in learning about our impact and finding solutions that matter. We are taking steps to limit the depletion and damage of natural resources where we can, and we're putting a major emphasis on using less energy and reducing waste. We are constantly improving our supply chain to source sustainable ingredients, and we manufacture our products in a responsible manner that preserves the planet. Below are a few goals that we are currently focused on - take a look!

PCR & Recyclable Packaging

Sustainable Ingredient Sourcing

Paperless Warehousing

Empowering Employees

Reducing & Managing Waste

Offsetting Emissions & Giving Back

Our Lowest Impact Product

We want to reduce the footprint associated with every one of our products, but for those looking to make the biggest difference we've done the carbon calculations to determine what products have the lowest impact when purchased. What goes into this analysis? Everything from the distance and shipping method of our ingredients to the packaging components and manufacturing process. This one is our most sustainable superblend yet, featuring vegan omega-3s from algae (read all about it by clicking the product picture below). We look forward to continuing to change our impact across all of our products, but this is a great place to start!