Spotlight: Beco Pets -- Innovating Pet Essentials to Protect the Planet

Meet Beco Pets — a pet care company proving that loving our animals and caring for the Earth go paw-in-paw — and the Seeing Green Solutionist of the Day for October 24.

In this Spotlight episode, we turn to an often-overlooked contributor to household emissions and waste: our pets. From food to toys to poop bags, the pet industry generates millions of tons of plastic, agricultural emissions and landfill waste each year. But what if our everyday choices for our pets could become a powerful force for regeneration instead of pollution?

Beco Pets was founded with a clear mission: to redesign pet essentials from the ground up using nature-positive materials, circular design and responsible sourcing. Their food and treats are made with low-impact proteins and ethically sourced ingredients designed to reduce land use and protect biodiversity. Their toys are crafted from recycled cotton, reclaimed plastic bottles and natural rubber — materials chosen not just to be durable, but to keep waste out of oceans and landfills. And their home-compostable poop bags have become a global benchmark for eliminating unnecessary plastic from daily routines.

With commitments to renewable energy, responsible farming, 1% for the Planet and B Corp certification, Beco represents a model for what a truly planet-forward pet brand can be — one that honors the joy our animals bring by protecting the planet they depend on.

In this episode, we explore how Beco Pets is transforming the pet industry — one toy, treat and tail wag at a time — and helping consumers lower their “pawprint” without compromise.

Transcript

Welcome to Seeing Green - Solutions for our Daily Lives. The podcast where we spotlight the brands, ideas and people making it easier to live sustainably every day.

Today’s episode is part of our “Spotlight” series – a deep dive into one of our Seeing Green Solutionists of the Day. And now… today’s solution.

Welcome everyone to episode 43 of the Seeing Green podcast. Today's deep dive is part of our Seeing Green Spotlight series. This is where we take a closer look at the Seeing Green Solutionist of the Day and the real solutions they're bringing to help us all be healthier and greener in our daily lives.

Yeah, we're really glad you could join us. And hey, if you enjoy what you hear, please do subscribe to the podcast. You can also join the Seeing Green community over at SeeingGreen.eco and you know, follow us @SeeingGreenEco across social media.

Definitely. Actually, before we jump in, I was just having a look. Seeing Green's got a new presence on Pinterest. And wow, the visual pins and boards are great. It really brings these Solutionists and what they offer, you know, visually to life.

Oh, yeah. I need to check that out. Sounds like a perfect visual companion to what we talk about here. So, listeners, definitely check out @SeeingGreenEco on Pinterest if you get a chance. It sounds pretty neat.

It is. So, okay. Today, we are circling back to a topic that's always popular, sustainable pet care. We know how much everyone in our community cares about their furry, scaly, or feathery family members.

Absolutely. It comes up all the time.

And we've covered some great brands before, right? Like Ruffwear, Earth Animal, West Paw. We even did a whole deep dive in the Greening My series just on Greening My Pet Care.

That's right. And the Seeing Green website actually spotlights, I think, over a dozen other sustainable pet care brands, too. Yeah. So, yeah, if this is your area of interest, there's a lot more to explore there. Conscious pet ownership is definitely a big thing now.

It really is. But today our spotlight is on one specific brand. It's a company whose, well, whose whole foundation was really built on this commitment to lessen the paw print of the pet care industry. We're talking about Beco Pets. And remember, that's Beco pronounced “be eco.”

Be eco. Got it. Yeah. Okay. So, let's unpack what Beco is doing because they seem to have recognized pretty early on that, you know, loving our pets and loving the planet, well, it needed a rethink of the actual products we buy.

Exactly. So, let's start there. Let's set the stage a bit. Just thinking about the sheer scale of the pet world. We all know the deep love we have for our pets. I mean, they're family. Full stop. But, and here's the tricky part, that love, that emotional connection, it translates into, well, consumer demand. And that has a real environmental weight.

It really does. And the scale we're talking about is just it's vast. Think about this. As of 2025, there are approximately 94 million households in the US alone that have at least one pet.

94 million. Wow.

Yeah. So, this is definitely not some niche market we're discussing. And the money involved shows that, too.

Right. The spending numbers are huge. Total spending on pet products just in the US hit around $150.6 billion in 2024.

Billion with a B.

Exactly. So, when you have an industry moving that kind of volume, that much stuff, the choices they make about sourcing, about manufacturing, they become incredibly important for sustainability. 

And this is where we need to look at the core environmental problems, the ones Beco seems to be tackling. A huge one is the food system. Some estimates suggest that globally our cats and dogs consume something like 20% of the world's meat and fish.

20%. That's that's a staggering figure when you stop and think about it.

It really is. And if you focus just on the U.S., the data suggests pet food could account for up to say 25% to 30% of the entire environmental impact of meat production in the country.

A quarter to almost a third.

Yeah. Think about the emissions, the land use, the water, all associated with raising animals for food. A huge chunk of that is just for our pets.

And then beyond the food, there's the waste problem. Just the physical stuff. We're talking billions, literally billions of single-use plastic pet products every year.

Like what?

You know, those cheap toys that break in 5 minutes, packaging that can't be recycled, and just mountains and mountains of standard plastic poop bags.

Right. All heading straight to landfill

Pretty much.

So, okay. Beco steps into this picture, right? Recognizing these two massive challenges. The huge carbon footprint from food.

Yeah.

And this just overwhelming tide of plastic waste from everything else. And the point here isn't to make anyone feel guilty about having a pet. It's about realizing our choices. You know, the things we buy, they matter in every part of our lives, including how we care for our animals. This is about finding and choosing better solutions.

Well said. Which brings us squarely back to Beco Pets. I should say founded in the UK back in 2009 and their mission right from the get-go was to drastically cut the environmental impact of pet ownership to lessen that paw print as they call it.

I like that phrase, lessen the paw print. And their founding philosophy, it was apparently really simple but powerful. Something like Beco was born from love for dogs and a refusal to accept the waste that comes with traditional pet products.

That refusal to accept -- that feels key. They weren't just tweaking things. They were challenging the norm.

Exactly. That refusal, that's central to what they do.

And their origin story kind of shows how tough that can be challenging norms. They actually started out by launching a dog bowl made from bamboo.

Bamboo. Okay.

Yeah. Specifically using the offcuts and waste for making chopsticks. So, it was a direct move away from plastic using a waste stream.

Huh. That sounds smart now, but I bet back in 2009.

Exactly. You mentioned the push back earlier. They said it was a real uphill battle at first. Consumers just weren't used to thinking of bamboo as like a durable material for pet stuff. They had to really push.

So they had to actively define their core philosophy then.

Pretty much they had to convince people that durability, safety and sustainability could all go together in every single product.

That persistence though, challenging the market like that. That really sets a company apart, I think.

Definitely. And they've backed it up with some serious credentials over the years. They became a certified B Corp. That was in 2022.

Right. And we should probably put that B Corp score into perspective. for you listening. Their score is 85.5,

Which sounds good.

It's very good. The average company that even tries for B Corp certification scores around 50.9. So 85.5 shows a really significant deep commitment across their whole business, social and environmental performance.

Okay, that makes sense.

And they're also climate neutral certified, so they're measuring and offsetting their emissions, too.

What I find fascinating, though, is how they measure success internally. It's not just about profit. They use something called a five capitals model. Have you heard of this?

I have. It includes the usual financial and manufactured capital, right? But then it adds human, social, and crucially natural capital.

Exactly. Natural capital.

And if you think about what that means, measuring natural capital basically forces a company to actually quantify its impact on resources, on biodiversity, on the health of ecosystems. It means sustainability isn't just some side project or marketing thing. It's fundamentally part of how they define success.

Right. And they also put their money where their mouth is through 1% for the Planet.

Yep. Dedicated member. So 1% of every single sale goes directly to fund social and environmental projects. It's built right in.

Okay. So they've got the mission. They've got the corporate structure backing it up. Let's talk about the actual products. How does this philosophy show up in their product portfolio? Because they seem to cover quite a range, making it easier for people to make greener choices.

They really do cover the whole spectrum. So under Ereat, you've got their pet food wet dry. stuff for puppies. Think plant-based options, even insectbased treats, all designed to use fewer resources.

Insectbased treats. Okay, that's interesting. We're seeing more of that. What about toys? The play category.

Yep. They have toys made from natural rubber, softer toys, plush characters, too. And the key thing here is they're really designed for longevity, not to be disposable.

Right. Fighting that throwaway culture.

Okay. What about the less glamorous side, poop.

Ah, yes. A major waste issue, as we said. So, they tackle that with options like home compostable bags.

Oh, good.

And bags made from recycled plastic, too, plus dispensers and things.

And then the last category, Clean. This is where you find things like those original bamboo bowls, other feeding accessories, and daily care, their dog wipes, that sort of thing.

So, a pretty comprehensive lineup, making those sustainable swaps easier across the board.

Exactly.

And their choices in all these areas, they directly address that throwaway culture we mentioned and those hidden environmental costs of just caring for our pets. Let's maybe talk a bit more about their strategy against disposability itself.

Yeah, it seems baked into their continuous improvement approach. They focus on four areas. Climate, nature, design, and transparency.

Design being key for the disposability issue.

Absolutely. They're actively rejecting that model by really emphasizing durability.

Like when you hear about a soft toy that's double stitched, maybe has triple layers. That's not just for toughness, that's become consciously pushing back against the cheap, falls apart in a day standard.

It's like sustainability disguised as quality, which is probably the smartest way to get people on board.

Totally agree. It hits that sweet spot.

Okay, so let's really unpack the specific solutions now. What makes Beco a solutionist? Let's look at the materials and practices. Maybe starting with food since that's where the emissions problem is often biggest.

Right. Food first. This is where their focus on ethical and responsible sourcing really comes through. They make a point of using free-range proteins, wild caught fish, and ethically farmed meats.

Okay.

For example, their free-range chicken comes from these high welfare farms in Norfolk in the UK where the birds actually get access to the outdoors.

That's good. But you mentioned something earlier about novel proteins. That seemed like a big strategic move.

It really is. This directly tackles the huge carbon footprint of common meats like beef and lamb. Beco uses wild boar and the source material actually specifies that wild boar is 82% lighter in emissions compared to those common alternatives.

82% just from swapping one ingredient.

Yeah. An 82% reduction in an industry where meat consumption drives so much climate impact that is well it's monumental. It's not just marketing fluff. It's a structural choice to genuinely lower the carbon load of their food.

And it also helps normalize using these different kinds of proteins which we probably need more of.

Definitely. They also use responsibly sourced wild caught fish cod and haddock things like that.

Okay but it's not just the sourcing right you said the formulation itself is strategic.

Correct. Their recipes are generally designed to be about half meat and half vegetables.

Oh okay.

And that's a conscious decision again to reduce the overall carbon footprint compared to those really high meat commercial foods you often see. Sustainability is literally baked into the nutritional balance.

Got it. Okay, let's shift to accessories then. The turning waste to wonder part. How are they diverting waste from landfill, say with their soft toys?

Well, their soft toys use materials like recycled cotton and rPET.

rPET? That's recycled plastic bottles, right?

Exactly. Recycled polyester made from plastic bottles. It's a really clear example of circularity taking waste and making something new.

And they actually put a number on it, don't they? Makes it more concrete.

They do. Up to 15 discarded plastic bottles are recycled to create the material for just one of their toys.

15 bottles per toy. That really helps you visualize the impact, giving waste a proper second life.

Totally. And for their tougher, more durable toys, they lean on things like sustainably harvested natural rubber. Also, hemp, which is great. It's fast growing, low impact fiber. Plus recycled cotton again, and even rice husk ash.

Rice husk ash. Interesting.

Yeah. The point is, every material seems chosen not just because it's tough, but because it has the lowest possible environmental impact they can find for that purpose.

Right. Durability plus low impact. Okay, now the unavoidable topic, pet waste. The plastic bag problem everyone sees every day. What are their solutions there?

They offer a couple of industry-leading options. First, for people who compost at home, they have certified home compostable bags.

Okay, that's a great option if you can do it.

For sure. And then for their standard bags, they've made a really significant leap. They used to be, I think, 40% recycled plastic, but now they're made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic.

100%. That's huge considering just how many of those bags get used globally every single day. Massive difference.

Absolutely. And it's not just the bags themselves. Their transparency extends right to the shelf. All their product packaging across the whole line is plastic free and recyclable.

Nice. That's a big commitment.

It is.

Okay. So, we've covered food, toys, waste. What about the company itself? Their own business practices and corporate responsibility. How do they walk the talk.

This is where you see that commitment to natural and human capital playing out internally.

How so?

Well, for starters, their own headquarters runs on 100% renewable energy.

Oh, really? How?

They use solar panels and an air source heat pump. Their goal was fossil fuel-free operations at HQ.

Impressive.

And even their sales team uses a hybrid vehicle fleet to cut down on transport emissions.

Okay, tangible steps. What about transparency?

They seem pretty radical on that front. They actually publicly report their carbon footprint. In 2023 it was 2,086 tons of CO2 equivalent. Now that number needs context year-over-year, but just the act of publishing it shows real accountability. They're committed to tracking and reducing it.

That takes guts. And their 1% for the Planet membership that translates into real world conservation work, right? Investing in biodiversity.

Exactly. This is where their natural capital model hits the ground. For instance, they've partnered with a group called Sea Wilding to help restore vital seagrass meadows up in Scotland.

Oh, cool. Seagrass is so important.

Hugely important. And they also work with the Sumatran Orangutan Society, SOS. They've planted over 2,500 trees through that partnership, helping protect critically endangered species and their habitats. It shows their commitment goes way beyond just their own products.

That's really good to hear. And they support community initiatives, too.

Yeah, seems quite robust. They actively support an organization called Dogs on the Streets. They've donated thousands of meals, tens of thousands of poop bags, over a thousand toys, basically helping support the pets of people experiencing homelessness.

That's fantastic.

And they also partner with groups like Trash Free Trails, organizing cleanups in parks and wild spaces.

So, it's this really holistic commitment then from, you know, the wild boar and the dog food bowl…

All the way to seagrass restoration in the ocean.

Yeah, that seems to define their approach.

Beco really helps us as pet owners participate in these crucial climate solutions and without having to sacrifice quality or safety or just the sheer joy we get from our animals.

Exactly. They're a great reminder that sustainability -- it isn't about achieving some impossible perfection overnight. It's more about making better, more conscious choices every day, choices we can actually feel good about.

Yeah. Leveraging our spending to support the companies that are actively trying to find those better ways. And you know, thinking back to where they started that initial struggle trying to convince people to buy a bamboo bowl, it shows how much inertia they had to overcome. So maybe the provocative thought for you listening at home is this. How can we take that same conviction Beco had right at the beginning, that determination to choose the sustainable, the durable option even when it was harder and apply it to other parts of our lives, especially when the mainstream market hasn't quite caught up yet because that conviction feels like the real shift we need.

Hmmm… that's a great point to ponder. Well, if you want to learn more about Beco Pets, you can visit them at becopets.com

And are you interested in learning more about creating a greener, more sustainable daily life overall? Definitely check out the other deep dives from the Seeing Green podcast. We've got both the Spotlight series like this one and the Greening My series. And please subscribe while you're at it.

You can also join the Seeing Green community. Just sign up on the Seeing Green website. You'll find more trailblazers there making really significant strides in promoting eco-friendly living through all sorts of innovative products, solutions, and practices. That's online at www.seeinggreen.eco.

And don't forget to follow us @SeeingGreenEco across social media. We're sharing the latest tips and solutions constantly. Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Blue Sky, Tik Tok, LinkedIn, and now Pinterest too. You name it, we are probably there.

Thank you so much for joining us for this deep dive in the Seeing Green Spotlight series. Until next time, keep seeing green.

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