How To Be Environmentally Friendly as a Pet Sitter

I naturally try to be as environmentally friendly as possible in every situation and as pet sitting has now become a business for me, I’m now looking for options to be environmentally friendly as a pet sitter following a conference about becoming net zero as a small business. However, I recognise and acknowledge that climate change is largely fuelled by big businesses globally, but how can I judge them when I don’t judge my own actions and decisions in the same light?

A row of trees

Here is what I’ve thought about so far that you can easily implement in your every day to be environmentally friendly as a pet sitter:

• Travel: Although it’s such an obvious one, try to think about your travel usage and think about alternative routes rather than just driving - can you walk, run, bike or use public transport to these bookings? If these aren’t viable method of commute, drive sensibly and conscientiously, we found First Time Driver’s Article on 8 Green Driving Tips to Protect the Environment super helpful and highly recommend the quick read. Another thing you can do with travel and again another obvious one is to try pair bookings up in the similar area on the same day to reduce extra journeys!

• Clothes: When I think about travel, I think about walking and getting stuck in the rain (it’s common English weather and a common occurrence for myself!). This leads me thinking about waterproofs, walking shoes and everything else in between. I have made a conscious effort to buy everything second-hand, even the furniture in our house, and my business wear is no exemption. When you know you need to buy a new piece of clothing, or even electrical goods, try to look second hand first: Gumtree, Ebay, Charity shop, Jumble Sales, Car boots, Vinted or even ask friends and family to see if they have what you are looking for. However, I acknowledge that sometimes you aren’t so lucky and you do have to buy new. If this is the case, try buy from a sustainable source - it may be a bit more expensive but think of more as an investment to your and your business.

• Treats, toys & other supplies: Although I don’t supply these products as part of my pet sitter service, it doesn’t mean I have thought of alternatives. Again, I would try to buy these secondhand as you never know what you might find. We recently brought a year’s supply of cat food off Facebook Marketplace that has been unopened for half the price and got a four storey cat tree for free! For the pet that you are looking after, I would personally avoid buying second hand treats but I’d advise unopened poo bags or toys still in their packaging are still worth contemplating (toys should be ran by owners first).

• Poo bags: If you supply your own poo bags, I would always recommend purchasing eco-friendly or biodegradable bags like the Green Poop bag who won an eco-friendly award in 2020.

• Recycle food packets: Look for local recycling points in your area! Pets at Home offer a recycling service for washed, cleaned and dried food packets that cannot be recycled in the household waste bin, but you could also check Terracycle (it blew my mind how much could get recycled). I do these everyday in my practise and will continue to do so!

• Phone usage: It’s not one to be thought about but using loads of storage on your phone is a waste of energy, a small task you can do is clear your phone out monthly of unwanted images, unnecessary emails, check what apps are using data and moving files to the iCloud. You can also switch internet browser to one that is more eco-friendly like Ecosia that plant trees after a certain amount of searches. Uswitch did a great article on sustainable phones and eco-friendly tips which I’d recommend a read.

• Home living: Another small one! Treat your work space and the owner’s home with respect: turn off unused lights, turn off taps, choose showers over baths, recycle and compost where possible, and hopefully smart meters are installed. Talking about unused electricity, try to prevent having the TV on for ‘background noise’ during your visits, opt for reading or drawing as an alternative.

• Offsetting: This is one to think about and might even need an accountant for. At the conference, they discuss the ability to offset the areas you can’t improve by calculating your carbon emissions. To calculate your carbon emissions, you need to find a carbon footprint calculator and enter all your information. There are free ones like the Carbon Footprint Calculator that is quick and easy, but it does mean it’s more likely to be inaccurate, but perfect for guidance to ones like Safe Earth that offers a bit more in-depth result.

As I do more research and reflect on my practise, this list will grow and I will think of new ideas but until then, please enjoy these tips and think about what you can do in your every day to be more eco-friendly. If you find these overwhelming, just remember one is better than none.