5 Compelling Reasons Why Eco-Friendly Toys are the Best Choice for Your Dog

Dogs are such wonderfully intelligent, and often funny, creatures – and they require a great deal of time, effort, and entertainment to keep them stimulated and out of mischief. Some pups love to play with anything and everything, especially things they’re not supposed to have! Others have a certain toy that they love to death, and don’t want anything else. 

But regardless of whether you’ve got a dog who loves everything, or one who only has set favourites, choosing what to give them, and ensuring that it’s suitable for their size, age, breed, and health, is vitally important.

There are a lot of different dog toys on the market, but they’re not all created equal – there are some, especially cheaper mass-produced, items that aren’t just cheap in price and construction, but are also health hazards. Unlike children’s toys, there are no strict rules or regulations as to the materials that go into making dog playthings, so it’s up to their owners to do their research and know what are safe to play with.

As more pet owners become environmentally conscious, there’s a growing drive for eco-friendly pet supplies, and that of course includes eco friendly dog toys. 

Eco-friendly pet products are generally either made from materials that are environmentally friendly or responsibly sourced, or materials which have been renewed, recycled, or upcycled from existing products. 

We fully believe in the benefits of eco-friendly and recycled dog toys, and here’s our top five reasons why we think you’ll agree with us:

1. Less Waste is Better for the Planet

Each year, about 300 million tonnes of plastic waste is produced, and it’s estimated that there’s been 8.3 billion tonnes of it since the early 1950s, with about 60% of it ending up in landfills or the natural environment and only 9% being recycled. As you can imagine, this has had a detrimental effect on the environment, and is a cause for concern.

Eco-friendly Dog Toys, such as our Clean Earth range – which are created from recycled plastic water bottles, are taking that harmful plastic out of the cycle and giving it new purpose, and a form which is easily recyclable.

If you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint, and your dog’s carbon paw print, recycled dog toys are a great place to start.

2. Closer Attention to Detail means Higher Standards and Safer Playtime for Your Dog

Not all toys are created equally, and with the UK and EU sadly lacking in enforced standards (there are currently no EU regulations that are specific for pet products outside of food, drugs and related items), poorly made and frankly dangerous toys have been known to make it onto the market.

However, unlike cheap mass-produced goods, a lot of eco-friendly toys are created by small businesses, who often have stories about the dogs in their lives, and are dedicated to producing high-quality products.
It helps that the innovation and desire to repurpose or recycle materials including nylon leads, water bottles and fabrics (such as the recycled cotton used in the Ore’Pet rope toys), means that these companies are paying close attention to the design and styling of their products – and they are using this to hold themselves to higher standards, and giving your pet a safer product to play with.

3. Rigorous Testing and Innovativeness Results in Longer Lasting Toys

As with the recycled and upcycled products, a focus on sustainability often means working with new and different materials or taking existing ones and doing something different with them, to ensure that the process of creating the toys is sustainable and eco-friendly as well.

This often leads to experimental techniques, and new patents being filed as companies discover and lay claim to entirely new processes, which – due to the nature of the creation process – are rigorously tested along the way.

When creating their tough dog toys, the makers of our natural rubber toys went so far as to FDA-test and use proprietary technology to turn their food-grade natural, tree-tapped rubber (harvested from sustainable crops) into practically indestructible toys which are also treated with an anti-bacterial agent to make it safe for dogs. In addition, our new range of West Paw dog toys are not only made for fearsome fangs, they are also made for different types of chomp strength – from moderate to power gnashers who could chew through anything. If the toy ever gets destroyed, they can also be sent back to the Company to turn the scraps into more toys! Check out our range of West Paw dog toys here.

Companies who are pursuing new technologies and differing use of materials are more likely to pay close attention to the health and well-being of their canine customers, because it directly affects their development and design – which means a safer, tougher toy for your pup.

4. Natural Materials aren’t Full of Potentially Harmful Chemicals

Synthetic materials such as PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) are often softened with phthalates, and also contain chlorine, which is released over time as the dog chews on the toy. The toys may not appear harmful in the short-term, but over time chlorine produces dioxins which are pollutants that can cause cancer and immune system damage in animals, as well as having reproductive and developmental issues associated with them, that can be damaging to puppies and young dogs.

Cheap toys, especially imported tennis balls, may contain lead which is a toxin that affects both humans and animals. There have also been reports of some imported dog and cat toys containing cadmium which destroys the joints, kidneys, and lungs of the animal.

Sustainable and socially responsible businesses are focused on creating eco-friendly dog toys and products that are better for the environment, and safe for the animals who play with them – and they pay much closer attention to what is being used in the product and production, making them a much safer alternative and the best toys for your dog.

5. Supporting Green Businesses sets an Expected Standard

As of 2022, there are over 12.5 million dogs living in households in the UK – which works out to be about 33% of all households, and it’s not surprising that a large number of pet owners (49%) say they try to fit their lives around their animals wherever they can.

People in the UK spend more than £10 billion each year on their dogs, and companies creating products closely examine customer trends and purchases – they have to if they want to compete. When customers make a conscious decision to change their spending habits, it really can make a difference in the types, variety, and availability of specific products.

By supporting green businesses and championing eco-friendly dog products, you’re making a very real difference – because if enough people show that these are the types of products that are wanted, and they are willing to spend on, the market will change – and businesses will have to focus more on their CSR, green policies, and sustainable practices. 

When you’re shopping for the best toys for your dogs, it’s always important to look at not only what materials have been used in the toy, but also what process was undertaken to create it, and whether sufficient safety testing has been undertaken by the manufacturers.

Make sure you take into consideration the specifics of your dog – their age, size, and breed – because some toys may be great for a small dog, but a choking hazard for a larger one. Before handing the toy off to your pup, check it over – keep an eye out for small parts that might come off, materials that might fray easily, or toys that could cause choking hazards if they are chewed to pieces.

It’s important to supervise your pup when they’re at play, to ensure that they’re not doing something silly, or potentially hurting themselves. Regular training and the use of treats to encourage learning, so that your dog can drop on command is a skill that you’ll find useful and perhaps even lifesaving.

At Toro’s Choice, we are driven by eco-consciousness and canine welfare – we wholeheartedly embrace green initiatives and are committed to working with small businesses who don’t just pay lip service to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), but who operate with the highest ethical standards, eco-friendliness, champion responsible products – both in their creation and their content, and who make the happiness and welfare of their doggy customers a top priority, and are passionate about creating the best toys for your dog.