Open Farm takes its commitment to sustainability and ethical business practices one step further by partnering with TerraCycle, an innovative social enterprise focused on recycling the unrecyclable. Together, we want to divert empty cat and dog food bags from landfills and close the loop on pet food waste- at zero cost to our customers.
You can participate in this great initiative by recycling your empty Open Farm dog and cat food bags with TerraCycle. Sign up here!
How does TerraCycle work?
To participate in this program, you’ll first need to sign up and create an account with TerraCycle. After your pet has enjoyed their Open Farm meals, collect and pack up your empty cat and dog food bags. Through your TerraCycle account you can print a free shipping label and drop your package off at your local post office or arrange to have your package picked up by UPS.
Make sure to clean and dry the packaging before packing it into your shipment box. This is to ensure that UPS will accept your collection for delivery. Fill out the UPS form and print out the label, stick it on your box, and wait for pick-up.
And just like that, your empty pet food bags are now on their way to the TerraCycle headquarters to start their new life.
What Open Farm products can be recycled with TerraCycle?
We have five product lines that are accepted for recycling with TerraCycle. These are:
- Open Farm Freeze Dried Raw
- Open Farm Dry Dog Food
- Open Farm Dog Treats
- Open Farm Dry Cat Food
- Open Farm Gently Cooked
While there is no minimum number of empty food bags to participate in this program, you may want to wait until you’ve accumulated at least 2lbs worth. This will render you eligible for TerraCycle points! You can use these to redeem gifts and product packages, or donate to your favorite charity or school.
What happens after I ship cat or dog food bags to TerraCycle?
Unfortunately, 95% of cat and dog food bags are considered unrecyclable. Most pet food packaging is made up of multiple layers of paper, plastic, and foil that cannot be easily separated by your local recycling collector. Luckily, the Open Farm and TerraCycle partnership makes it possible repurpose this waste into innovative upcycled products and help divert this waste from landfills.
Once sent to TerraCycle, dog and cat food bags undergo a process in which they are shredded, heated, and made into plastic pellets. This raw material is then used to create a variety of products, including outdoor furniture such as park benches, storage solutions, plastic shipping pallets, construction materials, tiles and more. Learn more about our TerraCycle partnership here.
Do Some Good with Open Farm
Open Farm values the world we live in and the welfare of all those in it -whether four-legged or otherwise. The best way to demonstrate our commitment is to incorporate Earth-friendly practices into our business model. Through our partnerships with like-minded companies such as TerraCycle and One Tree Planted we hope to empower our customers to join us in making the planet a better place.
If you want to learn about our other sustainability initiatives, we invite you to check out our blog to see what we have planned for Earth Month this April! Through Open Farm, fur parents all over the country can provide delicious and nutritious food to their pets while minimizing their impact on the environment.
