Before selecting any new producer partners for our GO! SOLUTIONS, NOW FRESH and SUMMIT products, we review their sustainability programs. Those who adhere to responsible environmental and social practices will be chosen whenever possible.

Every partner we considered as a provider of ingredients for our GATHER recipes were required to meet our strict criteria for sustainability, based on five key pillars:

1. Following humane animal welfare practices
2. Protecting water supplies and limiting water use
3. Protecting farmer, rancher and producer livelihoods
4. Ensuring the preservation of natural resources
5. Actively working to preserve biodiversity

Those who survived our scrutiny and earned our confidence have joined us to become our secured sources and trusted partners. GATHER contains 100% certified organic whole chicken, peas, flaxseed, oatmeal and barley. 100% of our line-caught cod and krill is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council to be sustainably harvested. And of course, every ingredient in GATHER is NON-GMO.

We’re constantly looking for ways to conserve electrical and mechanical energy and to be environmentally conscious while we’re creating our recipes. Our new pet food oven uses less energy and produces less waste and dust. Our dryers are expending 15%-25% less energy and we’re saving on power consumption overall during production.

Because we make foods that are both nutrient-rich and high efficiency, you are able to feed your pet less, they absorb more nutrition, and there’s less poop to scoop, which means less poop going to landfills. Pet poop accounts for 4% of the municipal waste in San Francisco’s landfills; as much as all of the city’s disposable diapers. And every ounce of it produces methane, the greenhouse gas that’s 30% more powerful than carbon dioxide.*

*http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-lewis-dogs-environmentalism-20141102-story.html

We always remind ourselves to “Think before you Print”, and email documents whenever possible. When we have to print a document, double-sided and black and white is our go-to.

We only use only Forest Stewardship Council certified paper for printing and photocopying. FSC criteria require that forest businesses protect endangered species and forest areas of high conservation value; set aside a portion of land as forest reserve; provide workers with decent wages; and respect the rights of local communities. Paper with additional sustainability certifications, such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Rainforest Alliance is used when possible.

We turn off lights in unoccupied rooms and have motion sensor lighting where it makes sense. We power off electronics when they’re not being used.

We create high-efficiency, high performance pet foods that use our planet’s food resources as responsibly as possible. In fact, one small piece of kibble contains every ingredient….the proteins, carbs and fats, the vitamins and minerals, your pet needs to sustain and nourish its life. Now, that’s efficient!

The packaging we use for canned foods is recyclable. We are always seeking options to make our dry pet food packaging environmentally friendly, while still maintaining product freshness and packaging durability. We do source our dry pet food bags primarily from North America instead of overseas, which lowers our carbon footprint. Hey, every little bit helps!

We wanted to reduce the use of traditional polyethylene in our GATHER packaging, while still having a bag that was strong, durable and that preserved freshness. We researched and discovered that using 30% “bio-based plastic” produced from sugarcane, a sustainably-produced and renewable raw material, helps us reduce our environmental impact with the greatest effect. Using bio-based plastic lets us reduce our use of petroleum-based resources by 30%; for every 16lb bag we make, we save a 4lb bag worth of petroleum-based material. “Reducing” is the first step in the “reduce, reuse and recycle” loop, and some say the most important step we can make for the environment.

We reward our team members by compensating them well (and above the industry standard) for their innovative thinking, commitment and hard work.

We empower every one of our team members to take personal control whenever necessary in order to make sound decisions on behalf of Petcurean that will enhance and protect the health of our customers’ pets, and to put those pets first, always.

We support our people in their personal lives, through growth, changes and challenges. We encourage our team members to stay with us, by recognizing their particular strengths and abilities and guiding them up and along in their careers with us. We have a high employee retention rate and we were recently honoured as one of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers*.

In our main office and elsewhere, we’ve all committed to telecommuting and carpooling whenever possible, and to explore other options such as public transit, biking or walking to work.

*http://content.eluta.ca/top-employer-petcurean