The Dog Grocer prides itself as Singapore’s first sustainabilty concept pet food store. As pet owners ourselves, we recognise how big a part our pets play in our lives (“They eat better than us”! Sounds familiar?). While we advocate good pet nutrition and species appropriate diets for our pets, we realise that sustainability, another passion of ours, extends beyond our own materialistic consumption. “Going green” is neither a fad nor merely a buzzword. It is a lifestyle change (even if it means baby steps!). It should permeate all domains of our lives. It requires conscious choices and rethinking how and what we (produce and) consume.

With our common vision for a circular and sustainable economy, individuals came together and worked on TDG – focusing on building a community of other like-minded pet parents who are conscious consumers. Individual choices may not seem like much in the face of this current disaster, but with more and more of us making small changes, we will collectively push towards greater change.

As aptly put by Anne-Marie Bonneau,
“we don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”

Be a part of our collective efforts in paving the way towards zero waste!

CHOOSING SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD (WHERE WE CAN)

For some of our product ranges — like our Wild Caught Atlantic Cod and Pollock — we’ve chosen to source from fisheries that follow responsible, sustainable fishing practices. This means working with suppliers who take care to protect marine ecosystems and maintain healthy fish populations for the future.

While we can’t guarantee that all our ingredients are from sustainable sources, we make a conscious effort to choose them where possible — all while keeping our products accessible and fairly priced. It’s all about finding the right balance between doing good and staying practical.

TURNING SCRAPS INTO SOIL

We used to collect all our fruit and veggie scraps and drop them off at local permaculture sites every two weeks for composting. On some days, we’d also bring along some special “ingredients” that the gardeners got pretty excited about — think soft, crushable chicken and duck bones from our broth-making, fish guts from processing saba mackerel, lobster shells, and trimmed pork fats.

What would normally be food waste became nutrient-rich compost, giving back to the soil and nourishing fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

USING ALMOST EVERY EDIBLE BIT

Before we turn anything into a treat, we plan how to use the entire cut. Take pork loin: the long, pretty slices become jerkies, while the short, “ugly” ends get minced into our Bandung pork/pulut inti cubes or go into TDG meals. Because pork loin is lean (less fat, less oxidation) and has fewer sinews/silverskin than, say, pork shoulder, we can utilise around 80% of the meat instead of discarding perfectly edible pieces.

We also actively ask suppliers for overlooked or unwanted cuts. Our cod, for example, comes from pieces left after the premium loin is trimmed for fine dining — still perfectly good, just not “pretty” enough. The meat becomes cod treats, the bones become cod broth. We even take lobster shells (after the meat is removed for restaurants) and turn them into lobster bisque.

The result? Lower costs, less waste, and far greater respect for the animal that became food. It’s smarter, more sustainable, and just the right thing to do.

USAGE OF PP#5 PLASTICS 

We use PP#5 plastic in several parts of our packaging — including our frozen food packs, supplement containers, and the inner liners for treats and chews. This material helps create a strong moisture and air barrier to keep our products fresh and safe.

The good news? PP#5 is one of the few plastics actively collected for recycling in Singapore. It’s low in toxins and can be easily melted down and repurposed into useful products by local recyclers like Plastify.sg.

That’s why we also collect used PP#5 packaging and send them directly to these recyclers — to make sure the plastic actually gets recycled, not just wish-cycled.

REUSED: THE R WE’RE MOST PROUD OF

While recycling gets a lot of attention, we believe reusing should be the real star. It’s even better than recycling — and way less energy-intensive!

Since the start of The Dog Grocer, we’ve been actively collecting donated paper bags and carton boxes from our community. These get a second life as packaging for all our online orders — and to date, we’ve proudly reused over 8,000 of them (and counting!).

Even in-store purchases are packed in donated bags if a bag is needed. these are small efforts with a big impact, and we’re grateful to everyone who’s been part of this little reuse revolution with us.

Our Approach to Sustainable Packaging

We’ve always been passionate about sustainability — which is why we initially opted for home compostable packaging for our frozen meals and cellulose pouches for our treats. These materials were collected, cut up, and composted together with our food waste, closing the loop in a meaningful way.

However, over time we realised that these compostable materials were not able to preserve the integrity of our products. They began to break down too quickly, which is especially problematic for our treats and chews that are also stocked at retail outlets. Without proper structure, the packaging just wasn’t holding up — and that compromises both product quality and customer experience.

Commercial compostable packaging wasn’t a viable alternative either, as Singapore currently doesn’t have commercial composting facilities. That meant these “eco” options would ultimately end up as general waste, defeating the purpose.

After a great deal of research and testing, we decided to switch to a packaging solution that strikes a better balance between sustainability and functionality. We now use a combination of FSC-certified paper and mono-material PP#5 plastic. The FSC paper is printed with soy ink, making it fully recyclable. And in cases where it’s discarded as general waste, it emits fewer harmful gases during incineration compared to conventional materials.

Sustainability is important to us, but it also has to be practical. We’re constantly learning and adapting — making thoughtful choices that work not just for the planet, but also for our products and the people (and pets!) we serve.

Questions? Talk to us!