STAMFORD, Conn., Feb. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To help curb reliance on single-use plastics and encourage sustainable business practices for pet food, Canidae™, the premium pet food company, today announced the nationwide rollout of Canidae's first-of-its-kind environmentally-friendly Kibble Refill Stations at participating Petco pet care centers across the country.
The Kibble Refill Stations operate similarly to bulk gravity-feed coffee bean or nuts systems, combined with a reusable zipper bag that eliminates the need for single-use reinforced bags, over 99 percent of which are disposed of in a landfill rather than recycled, according to the Pet Sustainability Coalition. Following a successful pilot at Petco locations in Southern California, Canidae and Petco expect to expand the kibble refill technology to 100 Petco pet care centers in 2022.
Pet parents can expect to save up to 45% per pound on their purchases, as opposed to the premium price generally associated with environmentally friendly offerings. For example, four pounds of Canidae Pure kibble from a Kibble Refill Station would save a consumer more than $9 per bag as opposed to a regular, pre-packaged 4-pound bag. The Stations feature two recipes:
- Pure Real Salmon & Sweet Potato – a grain-free, limited ingredient diet and Canidae's most popular premium flavor
- Sustain Premium Recipe with Cage-Free Chicken – an overall sustainable option with wholesome grains
"The pet food industry has long lagged behind the rest of the food and CPG industries when it comes to sustainability and environmentally friendly practices," said Bret Furio, Chief Executive Officer of Canidae. "At Canidae, we've set a goal for ourselves to eliminate more than 80% of our plastic packaging in the next 8 years, in hopes that the rest of the industry follows suit. We know Petco shares a passion for wellness and sustainability for pets and pet owners alike, so this partnership is a great first step in our journey to deliver Goodness to pets, people, and the planet."
The Pet Sustainability Coalition estimates that 300 million pounds of plastic pet food and treat bags are generated in the United States each year. Canidae expects to eliminate the need for 50,000 dog food bags in the first year of this program, with plans to expand their reach across the country through 2023 and beyond. As part of the system's development, Canidae also rethought the way bulk kibble is distributed to stores, moving to fully-recyclable bulk bags in addition to the reusable zippered bags that consumers will use to take the kibble home. The elimination of single-use bags also allows Canidae to mitigate supply chain constraints related to packaging development.
"As a health and wellness company, all of us at Petco are acutely aware of our collective impact on our planet's natural resources and we're committed to driving positive change across our business, industry and the world at large," said Shari White, Petco Senior Vice President of Merchandising. "We're dedicated to offering pets and pet parents more products made with sustainable ingredients and materials; and we are incredibly proud of this exclusive partnership with Canidae to bring their innovative Kibble Refill Station technology to Petco customers."
The Kibble Refill Station—patent pending for utility and design—is a natural extension of existing Canidae initiatives such as expanding their reliance on regeneratively-farmed ingredients through the company's farming co-op efforts, using verified sustainable proteins, exploring alternative means of transport like rail as opposed to interstate trucking, and rethinking the company's carbon footprint overall as it pertains to food production, refinement, and transportation.
But Canidae's Cycle of Goodness goes beyond sustainably produced, nutritionally-dense food for dogs and cats to promote Goodness for pets, people, and the planet. In addition to supporting local producers and cutting down on energy use and emissions, Canidae is dedicated to nurturing the human/pet connection in other ways. For more information, please visit www.canidae.com. To find a Petco location near you, visit www.petco.com.
About Canidae Pet Food Company
From the first truckload of food delivered to the latest batch of pet food cooked in their Pet Nutrition plant in Brownwood, Texas, Canidae's story is one to be proud of. Canidae® was founded in 1996 by two pet owners who knew they could make pet food better. Better nutrients. Better flavor. Better for our dogs and cats and better for us all. They've been committed to quality ever since. That commitment is upheld today in more than just their nutrient-rich, premium pet food. It inspires everything they do, from the land they harvest and the farmers they work with, to the people they employ and the local pet food stores they partner with. All of Canidae's products are vet-reviewed high-quality and perfectly balanced for optimal health at an affordable price point with no fillers, artificial flavors or artificial preservatives. Canidae is partnering with US farmers and green technology companies to bring new, sustainable practices to pet food including lowering pesticide use, reducing runoff and adopting regenerative farming practices.
For more information, please visit www.canidae.com
@canidaepetfood · @canidaepetfood · @canidaepetfood
About Petco, The Health + Wellness Co.
Petco is a category-defining health and wellness company focused on improving the lives of pets, pet parents and our own Petco partners. Since our founding in 1965, we've been striving to set new standards in pet care, delivering comprehensive wellness solutions through our products and services, and creating communities that deepen the pet-pet parent bond. We operate more than 1,500 Petco locations across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, including a growing network of more than 150 in-store veterinary hospitals, and offer a complete online resource for pet health and wellness at petco.com and on the Petco app. In tandem with Petco Love (formerly the Petco Foundation), an independent nonprofit organization, we work with and support thousands of local animal welfare groups across the country and, through in-store adoption events, we've helped find homes for more than 6.5 million animals.
For Petco:
Ventura Olvera
Ventura.olvera@petco.com
For Canidae:
Tony Forde
tforde@kruppnyc.com
SOURCE Canidae Pet Food Company
