Pet industry unites for Plastic Recovery July

The pet industry generates over 300 million pounds of plastic packaging every year, and 91% of it ends up in landfills, oceans, or nature. This July, the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC) is calling on brands, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and retailers across the sector to take collective action — through the second edition of Plastic Recovery July.

The initiative is run in partnership with rePurpose Global, a global leader in plastic recovery, which to date has recovered over 100 million pounds of plastic through a worldwide network of community-based projects. For every dollar invested, two pounds of plastic are recovered and kept out of natural environments.

A key element of the programme is credibility. Each participating company receives certified Verified Plastic Recovery (VPR) units — non-transferable certificates representing the collection and ethical processing of one pound of plastic waste. rePurpose Global's Verified Plastic Recovery Protocol (VPRP) ensures full end-to-end traceability and compliance with principles including additionality, material traceability, and measurable environmental and social impact.

Participation tiers range from the entry-level Ally package ($1,000 / 2,000 lbs recovered) to the Torchbearer package ($10,000 / 20,000 lbs recovered), with communication assets, press release mentions, and coalition visibility included at every level. The World Pet Association (WPA) is matching contributions up to a total of 50,000 lbs of recovered plastic — making early sign-up especially worthwhile.

PSC members can apply one credit toward participation. Credits are limited to the first 25 companies on a first-come, first-served basis. More information and sign-up: psc.petsustainability.org/plasticrecovery — or contact membersupport@petsustainability.org directly.