4 ways to GO GREEN with your pets!

Danielle — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:21:43 +0000

The following was written by a PRO Member on The Business of Pet Sitting online communiuty by one of my members. It is a place where pet sitting business owners come together to be inspired, motivated, and challenged. www.TheBusinessofPetSitting.com

There are many ways you can help the environment when it comes to your pet. Here are four ways:

Cleaning
Clorox, Lysol and many other cleaning chemicals are common household items these days, but I’ve recently discovered that straight vinegar or various diluted versions can be used instead of most of these products. A quick internet search will provide you with more uses than you can imagine. See these articles for more info:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/vin…old-germs.html
http://www.healthylegacy.org/consumer_cleaning.cfm

Disposing of Pet Waste

There are pros and cons to the different methods.Flushing: Pro – waste gets treated at the sewage treatment plant

which prevents contamination of fresh water and the environment; Con – excess water is used since the toilet needs to be flushed more often (mostly for cats)
Using biodegradable bags and throwing in trash: Pro – plastic bags are not sitting in landfills forever; Con – even biodegradable bags can remain intact for quite some time if not in the right conditions (exposure to air, etc), pet waste can enter the ground and contaminate fresh water sources
Composting/Burying: Pro – you are in control of where the waste goes; Con – since pet waste often contains parasites, MUCH CAUTION must be used in order to successfully use this method.

The following links have further info:

http://www.tappwater.org/what-pet.as…st&PostID=2242
http://www.poopbags.com/Facts.html
http://www.greenstar.coop/greenleaf/…ty-litter.html

Recycling
–My city lists the recyclable items it takes on their website. You may be surprised at what you find on your local list. Practically all plastics are recyclable these days…even plastic bags can be recycled in bins at grocery stores or Wal-Mart. (Here is Scottsdale’s: http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Recycle/RecycleList.asp)

–If your clients don’t recycle, consider doing it for them while you’re there. I’ve been known to take the big Tidy Cats containers with me to recycle when I get home.

–Use BOTH sides of printer and note paper and when you’re done with it put it in the recycle bin.

–Aluminum cans can usually be sold for cash. We have one such place here and I’ve often thought of asking clients to save their cans for me so I can turn them in for cash which I would then give to a local shelter on a monthly or quarterly basis. My own cans might not make much, but if I could collect the ones from my regular customers, over the course of a year, I bet we could be giving a decent donation to the shelters here. Some states give cash refunds for plastic and glass bottles, too…

Random
–I often find myself filling a glass of water then never drinking it all, so rather than pouring it down the drain, I put it in the dog bowl. They don’t mind that it’s been sitting out all day.
–We all have home offices, so be sure to use natural light during the day when possible and energy efficient light bulbs.
–Unplug appliances/electronics when not in use.

This information has been written by:
Amanda Gomez-Vidal
AGV Pet Sitting & More
www.MyAZPetSitter.com

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Danielle Vasta is the Pack Leader for Bella’s House & Pet Sitting in Scottsdale AZ and the writer of this blog. (www.bellashouseandpets.com)

Scottsdale Pet Expert » recycle

4 ways to GO GREEN with your pets!