New Benchmarking Tool Aims To Track ESG Progress in Pet Food
From food dyes to added sugars, there’s a lot of attention today on the ingredients in everyday grocery items — and rightfully so. But how about the food we feed our furry companions? The Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC) is making moves to do just that. With the introduction of its new industry-wide benchmarking tool, the PSC aims to track environmental, social, and governance (ESG) progress across the pet food sector.
As the first of its kind, this initiative urges brands to take control of their sustainability practices — measuring key metrics like greenhouse gas emissions, packaging waste, and responsible sourcing. Participating PSC members also receive a complimentary one-on-one expert consultation to review their results and form a strategic action plan.
Our four-legged friends would likely agree: The benchmarking tool is certainly a positive step forward in an industry where consumers are increasingly concerned about sustainability.
Wonderbelly Brings Clean Medicine to the Masses With Walmart Launch
If it’s in Walmart, it’s officially mainstream, and that’s a good thing for the clean medicine movement. With its launch across 2,500 Walmart stores and on Walmart.com, digestive health brand Wonderbelly is bringing FDA-regulated medicine to the masses, but not just any drugs. Wonderbelly products are free of artificial dyes, sweeteners, talc, gluten, dairy, titanium dioxide, and other questionable ingredients. The products are also affordably priced at under $10, making them accessible to people on tight budgets.
Wonderbelly’s Walmart launch also challenges established brands that have historically dominated medicine aisles. As more and more consumers take an interest in products that are free of preservatives and dyes and packaged sustainably, Wonderbelly is sure to stand out — and potentially inspire change.
A Win for Slow Fashion Despite Ongoing Challenges
Most people can be set in their ways, particularly when it comes to fashion. Unfortunately, slow fashion has been struggling for attention. Issues like rising costs and the general lack of awareness about issues like sustainable sourcing and small-batch manufacturing can impede the sustainable fashion movement. Still, as brands like Ilana Kohn and Wray NYC shutter their operations, there’s hope on the horizon. For Montreal-based slow fashion brand Eliza Faulkner, business is booming. What’s the catch?
Faulkner’s success comes from leaning into the magic of slow fashion and exceptional design. Producing well-made, locally sewn, highly sought-after garments in small quantities creates a sense of urgency — get it while the getting’s good, because these items sell out.
We believe people still care about choosing sustainable goods. They just want affordable options that look and feel good, too. Feminine frocks and bold silhouettes that are expressive, joyful, and wearable? Yes, please. No, slow fashion isn’t defunct; it just needed a little rebranding.
Conservationists Urge Protection of At-Risk Otters
Otters are adorable, but should they be pets? That’s the urgent question amid a surge in illegal pet trade targeting otters — particularly in Japan, where otter cafes and social media trends have popularized the marine animal. The Asian small-clawed otter — the world’s smallest otter — is especially at risk. Despite bans on international trade, the ease of online sales continues to fuel the sale of this vulnerable species.
Granted, for the first time in over 185 years, the Asian small-clawed otter was rediscovered in Nepal. Still, with continued wildlife trafficking of this and other species, conservationists are urging stronger protections, enforcement, and public awareness. Otherwise, rare rediscoveries like this one may become even rarer.
Nature is resilient, yes. But it is also fragile in the wrong hands. Vigilance and proactive efforts are necessary to continue making progress for the world’s most at-risk species.
Raise a Glass to Surprisingly Sustainable Wine Barrels
Your favorite wine or whiskey may be aged in one of the world’s most eco-friendly containers: the oak barrel. In an age of single-use containers, these barrels are part of the circular economy, often lasting for decades before finally getting retired. And nowadays, distillers are repurposing barrels across different spirits — even turning the barrels into furniture when their distilling days are done.
Even the barrel-making process itself is often zero-waste. Leftover sawdust can become horse and cow bedding. Barrels often ship flat, maximizing space, and are reassembled at their final destinations. Barrel makers are also investing in regenerative efforts to help conserve white oak trees. Maker’s Mark, for one, has partnered with the University of Kentucky on sustainability initiatives, including a genome-mapping project aimed at preserving the American white oak.
So, next time you swirl, sip, and savor, say “cheers” to the mighty barrel. It’s doing more for the planet than you might realize.
