Discover your next big idea at PACK EXPO Las Vegas
Experience a breakthrough in packaging & processing and transform your business with solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries. Click to learn more.

Plant-Based Cat Litter Answers Call for Fully Recyclable Paper Packaging

Responding to consumer calls for easily recyclable packaging, natural pet products producer Healthy Pet introduces a fully-recyclable paper bag with paper handle for its ökocat cat litter.

The new packaging for Healthy Pet’s ökocat natural litter is a double-wall paper bag with a multi-wrapped paper handle that is glued in-between the layers of the bag for extra strength and durability.
The new packaging for Healthy Pet’s ökocat natural litter is a double-wall paper bag with a multi-wrapped paper handle that is glued in-between the layers of the bag for extra strength and durability.

For more than 35 years, Ferndale, Wash.-based Healthy Pet, a division of J. Rettenmaier & Söhne GmbH + Co KG of Rosenberg, Germany, has been producing natural pet products from reclaimed, renewable materials. But, says Healthy Pet Consumer Communications Manager Leslie Ellis, the company recognizes that it can always take sustainability a step further. “We are continually striving to improve our products, including our packaging,” she says.

Among Healthy Pet’s products that promise “A Healthier Clean” is its ökocat natural cat litter. öko is German for “eco” or ecological—an ideal descriptor for the litter product, which is made from rescued natural wood fiber that is free of harmful chemicals, added fragrances, and toxic dyes and is 99% dust free. Explains Ellis, “Since it’s free of toxic chemicals, additives, and synthetic scents, it’s not detrimental to the environment, unlike strip-mined clay litter, which accounts for the 2.4 million tons of cat litter that end up in landfills each year.”

Several years ago, Healthy Pet conducted an in-depth consumer study to better understand its ökocat customer as well as ways it could improve upon its natural cat litter product. According to Ellis, “A clear insight was revealed: Make the packaging 100% recyclable.”


   Read related article, “Four Ways Forward for Sustainable Pet Food Packaging.”

Annual Outlook Report: Workforce
Hiring remains a major challenge in packaging, with 78% struggling to fill unskilled roles and 84% lacking experienced workers. As automation grows, companies must rethink hiring and training. Download the full report for key insights.
Download Now
Annual Outlook Report: Workforce
Smart Filling Equipment Selection Guide
Discover the six critical factors that determine filling equipment success and avoid costly selection mistakes that drain profits.
Read More
Smart Filling Equipment Selection Guide