Pet industry rallies again for Plastic Recovery July

The Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC) has relaunched Plastic Recovery July, an industry-wide initiative that helps pet companies fund verified plastic recovery projects worldwide. Run in partnership with rePurpose Global, the campaign brings together brands, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and retailers to recover plastic waste that would otherwise pollute communities, waterways and ecosystems.

The initiative builds on a first campaign in 2025, when 14 pet industry companies jointly funded the recovery of more than 92,000 pounds (around 41.7 tonnes) of plastic waste through projects in Kenya, India and Indonesia (PET worldwide reported). Those efforts also supported over 1,070 waste workers through recovery and recycling programmes and created workforce and leadership opportunities for more than 800 women in local communities, while helping to protect coral reefs, mangrove forests and sensitive ecosystems in the Himalayan foothills.

This year's edition again channels funds through rePurpose Global's Verified Plastic Recovery (VPR) framework, which tracks and verifies recovered plastic across ethical collection and end-of-life processing systems. The money supports one of rePurpose Global's 13 active impact projects across six countries in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from protecting whale breeding grounds off Colombia's Pacific coast to safeguarding coral ecosystems in Bali and backing women-led waste collection networks in India. To date, rePurpose Global says it has helped recover more than 100 million pounds of plastic globally.

According to PSC, the campaign is designed to offer companies a practical, measurable step they can take now, while longer-term packaging transitions across the industry continue to evolve. The 2026 programme is underwritten with support from the World Pet Association (WPA), with the aim of reaching 50,000 pounds of plastic recovery.

Early supporters of the 2026 campaign include Earth Animal, Printpack, Ahlstrom, Bimini Pet Health, Cloud Star, InClover, Petcurean Pet Nutrition, Polkadog, Material Motion, Morris Packaging and Royal Canin. Participation levels range from Ally ($1,000) to Torchbearer ($10,000), with PSC members eligible to apply one member credit toward participation while supplies last. Participation is open to all pet industry companies; PSC membership is not required.