STAMFORD, CONN. — On Feb. 22, premium pet food company Canidae announced a nationwide rollout of its new Kibble Refill Stations at select Petco locations. The innovative stations are part of Canidae’s efforts in reducing single-use plastics in the pet food market.
Similar to bulk coffee bean refill stations at grocery stores, Canidae’s stations will allow consumers to fill reusable zipper bags with the desired amount of dog kibble. According to the Pet Sustainability Coalition, over 99% of single-use plastic bags are disposed in landfills rather than recycled. Canidae is hoping to reduce this by encouraging its customers to reuse the zipper bags.
After a successful pilot of the stations at Petco locations in Southern California, Canidae and Petco expect to expand the Kibble Refill Stations into 100 additional locations during 2022.
According to Canidae, dog parents will be able to save up 45% per lb on their dog food purchases, as opposed to other premium, sustainable pet food offerings.
Currently the stations will offer two of Canidae’s dog formulas: Pure Real Salmon & Sweet Potato and Sustain Premium Recipe with Cage-Free Chicken.
“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, Canidae. “At Canidae, we’ve set a goal for ourselves to eliminate more than 80% of our plastic packaging in the next eight 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.”
Canidae originally announced a partnership with Petco for the refill stations in November 2021.
According to the Pet Sustainability Coalition, its estimated about 300 million pounds of plastic pet food and treat packaging are produced in the United States annually. Canidae hopes to eliminate 50,000 dog food bags within the first year of rolling out the refill stations, with plans to expand across the country in 2023. The company is also using fully recyclable bulk bags in which the dog food will be distributed to participating retail locations.
“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, senior vice president of merchandising, Petco. “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 stations are currently patent pending for their utility and design, and are another part of Canidae’s existing sustainability efforts under its Cycle of Goodness.
Read more about sustainability in the pet food and treat industry.
