NEW YORK — Air-dried pet food company RawTernative® is now certified plastic neutral through a partnership with rePurpose Global. Through the partnership, RawTernative is funding the recovery of as much nature-bound plastic as its uses throughout its pet food packaging.

According to RawTernative, this sustainability effort will enable the removal of at least 7,500 lbs of plastic waste bound for oceans, annually. The company is supporting rePurpose Global’s Saaf Samudra project. Located in Goa, India, the project not only seeks to tackle plastic pollution, but to also support waste workers by providing them with safe, stable and fairly paid employment, according to RawTernative.

“Environmental protection is at the core of RawTernative,” said Aditya Siroya, co-founder and chief impact officer of rePurpose Global. “It is heartening to see them push the boundaries on tackling the plastic waste problem. We hope their commitment encourages more brands to take responsibility for the plastic that they are generating.”

RawTernative’s plastic neutral certification is part of its parent company Grandma Mae’s Country Naturals’ Susta-Pak® strategy, in which the company has partnered with Clearloop. Through this, Grandma Mae’s is supporting the development of solar energy projects to help reclaim emitted carbon created through product transportation. The project will expand to include RawTernative products in 2024.

“Our mission has always been to put pets and their pet parents first and so it only made sense to extend this level of care to the environment we all live in as well,” said Nathalie Berman, assistant to the president at RawTernative.

Read more about sustainability efforts in the pet food and treat industry.