For those pet owners, buying the best for your pet can generate a lot of waste. I know my buddy cat Pounce DeLeon requires quite a few cans and bags/boxes to be recycled to maintain his health.

Where to recycle dog food bags?

The problem with many dog food bags is that they’re not recyclable, even though they may look it.

As Philadelphia’s Recycling Director Phil Bresee explains,

The problem with them is that they have multiple layers of paper and plastic, which can’t be separated during recycling process.

Therefore, it’s difficult to find places that recycle them.

One brand, Open Farm, is partnering with TerraCycle to close the gap. You can collect the Open Farm Pet Food packaging, download a UPS label from Terracycle’s website and ship them off to be recycled. Although TerraCycle’s newest partner, Open Farm, is launching the first Ethically Raised and Sourced dog food, they’re apparently the ONLY brand they’ll take for this brigade.

If you’re looking for alternate dog food brands, buy brands that specifically come in paper bags or cans, which can both go in Philadelphia Single-Stream recycling bins, curbside.

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Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher