Going Green For Pets: BlogPaws 2015

Post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. It’s a mantra in our house and is also mandated by the county in which we live — we have to recycle specific household products and take it out to the curb on “garbage” day in its separate blue box container. 

That’s why I love that BlogPaws is undertaking a Zero Waste Initiative at the upcoming conference in Nashville. While at first I bemoaned the fact that I wouldn’t have a printed copy of the conference schedule I realized that I certainly could print it out. I will do so. At home. On recycled paper with recycled ink cartridges in black and white in draft format. Viola. I will have my copy in hand and at a savings — to both me and the environment.

We have gone to an online scheduler for the conference and frankly I am enjoying poking around in there and being able to set my schedule electronically. It was the same for Social Media Marketing World. They did have a conference brochure but, honestly, I used their online scheduler because it was more convenient and I am always on my smartphone so… why not?

What else do I do in my home to go green? I use eco-friendly poo bags for the times I take Henrietta walking. We don’t drink bottled water but instead use a water filter. We take reusable bags to the grocery store. I try to reuse containers that we get either to store pet foods or pet snacks.

What are the goals for the BlogPaws 2015 Conference in Nashville? We are thrilled to be hosting the first ever Zero-Waste Industry conference with the goal of diverting a minimum of 65% of our total waste footprint! Ambitious, yes, but we know we can do it! Here are a few ways we will work to meet our goal:

• With the help of Only Natural Pet and the Pet Industry Sustainability Coalition, BlogPaws will minimize its environmental footprint by decreasing the amount of waste produced in the first place, collecting non-landfill materials like recycling, food waste, packaging and pet waste
• We will engage participants in ways to practice a sustainable lifestyle
• Engaging with vendors and sponsors to ensure that they minimize the amount of waste they bring to the conference and ensuring that everything they bring has a landfill alternative
• Donating any unused pet products to local shelters to support the local Nashville pet community

Bottom line: BlogPaws will go a step further to encourage the industry to follow its lead by developing a case study and sharing their success to encourage more sustainable events industry wide.

What do you do at home, and when you’re out, to be more environmentally friendly? (Photo Shutterstock: recycling)