If you’re looking for something to chew on, how about the idea of switching to eco-friendly dog toys?
Don’t let those puppy dog eyes, soft fur, and wagging tail fool you, even the cutest pup can chew through most plastic toys (and space in our landfills).
As one of our features suggests, an estimated 634 million dog toys make their way into the trash each year in the US. Unbelievably, the estimated number of pet dogs is approximately 80 million.
That’s an outrageous ratio of disposable, cheap plastic toys filling our landfills yearly per pup. Whether your pooch hangs out at home during the day or holds an important job, we love to see them treated with dog toys made from recycled plastic or natural materials.
We’ll soon be adding our new Brand Rating System to all our articles in the coming months which will help focus on what we look for in sustainable brands from how they address climate action to product performance. Take a look at our explainer here to learn more about this new system.
Ready to reward your dog with a new favorite planet-friendly toy? Read on to find some pawsome brands taking care of all the good boys and girls – and the environment.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
Our Top Three Eco-Friendly Pet Toy Picks For Your Pooch
If you’re welcoming home a fur friend or updating your current pet product supply, The Kind Pet helps you make sustainable choices with its wide range of zero-waste dog products—including some of the most durable dog toys we’ve personally put to the test with our pups.
We know each dog has its own personality, West Paw celebrates that with a wide range of eco-friendly toys that can be recycled while partial profits fund pet-friendly projects in their locale.
Tug & Go’s tough recycled dog toys made from otherwise wasted materials like old fire hoses help to douse the flames of a plastic-filled toy industry.
Index: Recycled & Organic Dog Toys
- The Kind Pet Jump to brand
- West Paw Jump to brand
- Beco Pets Jump to brand
- KONG Jump to brand
- Pawsome Pet Toys Jump to brand
- Ware Of The Dog Jump to brand
The Kind Pet
The Kind Pet’s All-Natural Dog Toys
Price Range: $10–$24
The Kind Pet is kind to pet owners by sourcing products from the most sustainable brands, so you don’t have to sacrifice hours finding a sustainable option.
Whether you’re searching for a cork dog harness, an organic dog paw salve, or sustainable dog treats (with recyclable packaging), The Kind Pet has you covered. Each option on their site comes complete with a “Sustainability” and sourcing tab that clarifies the end-of-life option per product.
The Hemp Dog Bone, which we got the chance to demo, was a perfect toy for our aging Shepherd who still likes to chew, though her teeth require a softer option. Made of durable hemp canvas, organic cotton filling, thread, and label, after this bone is well chewed (it’s holding up to daily chomps!) it is 100% compostable, so will go right into our garden heap.
If you’re looking for eco-friendly tough dog toys for big dogs, bite into the Better Bone. It had its work cut out for it with our 11-month-old Australian Cattle Dog who tends to eat everything but a bone.
It’s made of PEFC sustainable forestry-certified wood flour and renewable sugarcane oil, is safe for aggressive chewers and doesn’t splinter. Toss it in a kennel for quiet time, and you’ve bought yourself (and your chair leg) some time.
About The Kind Pet
Even if your dog muddies their water, The Kind Pet remains crystal clear in its values. Creators Jennifer and Laura strive to lower their environmental impact by choosing brands with recyclable, organic, or low-waste (to name a few) options.
This woman-owned small business knows the value of supporting the people behind the pets. It seeks out other small businesses (many women or BIPOC-owned) with sustainability in mind.
Each shipment is packed using 40% recycled cardboard and water-based adhesive tape. The Kind Pet operates a carbon-neutral warehouse but makes no (dog) bones about it, the Kind Pet enables buyers to further their carbon offset with the EcoCart option at checkout.
Knowing which chew, chomp, chase, or thinking game your dog needs is imperative to enjoying the dog days of summer (or any other season). Each of West Paw’s durable dog toys is made with a specific type of play in mind–whether your dog likes to toss, tug, or think.
West Paw’s entire collection is BPA and latex-free, so even if Spot slobbers on their Jive Dog Ball all day long, they won’t be ingesting any harmful chemicals. And because they’re dishwasher safe, you can clean them with less yuck factor.
If your playful pooch has destroyed every plush, polyester fiber-filled stuffy, you’re not alone. Their Rowdies with HardyTex and reinforced mesh are durable plushies, built to keep the IntelliLoft filling made of recycled plastic bottles inside.
Our demo of the Rowdies was, well, rowdy. Shared between two dogs, tossed, tugged and tussled with, the toy remained intact for quite some time. Long after the stuffing was lovingly extracted, the reinforced mesh held on.
With the Hurley, it was an all-out dog-free for all! Jumping, chasing, tugging, and tossed in the water, Hurley tagged along. Its durable Zogoflex material has stood the test of time with our chewiest chewer. When ready to be retired, the ZogoFlex material can be chewed up (by a machine this time) and re-made into new recycled dog toys with their Join The Loop program.
About West Paw
West Paw knows dogs are determined to chew up even their most prized possession, so they back all products with the Love It Guarantee.
This Certified B Corp has our tails wagging with over 70 tons of recycled materials and supporting local initiatives like building the largest dog park in their Bozeman, Montana home. Partaking in their local Fix It Up Festival, and matching miles for the Gallatin Valley Land Trust Trails Challenge means no pup or partner is left behind.
Beco Pets
Beco Pets’ Eco-Friendly Dog Toys UK
Price Range: $6–$23
Sometimes it’s hard to find sustainable dog toys for rough chewers, but you won’t be chasing your tail for long, because Beco Pets can make any dog bark for joy.
Their non-toxic range will satisfy any pooch (and their caring human). They offer durable plastic-free toys made of sustainably tapped natural rubber.
If you don’t mind recycled plastic, their squeak toys feature about 15 plastic bottles, cleaning up ocean pollution, one game of fetch at a time. Most sustainable are their organic hemp dog toys, like the Hemp Ring, which is perfect for multi-dog tug-o-war games.
About Beco Pets
Animal lovers and friends Toby and George got the urge to create this eco-friendly dog toy brand by thinking about… bamboo chopstick waste (obviously).
This bamboo pet product maker began with the goal of reducing chopstick waste by making dog bowls from byproducts of the bamboo chopstick industry.
They now make dog food to fill their bowls with, as well eco dog toys—all made from non-toxic and BPA-free materials like cotton, bamboo, rice husk, food-grade silicone, and recycled plastic bottles.
The Sustainable Pet Coalition continued begging for more, and so they regularly contribute funds to animal and environment-focused charity groups like Dogs on the Street and the Marine Conservation Society. Products are made in China in ethically supervised facilities.
KONG
KONG’s Eco-Friendly Dog Chew Toys
Price Range: $7–$29
KONG is the king of the most durable eco-friendly dog toys. They make nearly any toy you could imagine—ropes, bones, puppy toys, antlers, and treat-stuffable chew toys.
You can search for a toy to meet specific criteria, like the type of play, features, age of the dog, and material. We like the last function because KONG has both sustainable dog toys as well as those that aren’t as Earth-friendly.
If you need dog toys for tough chewers, bite into the Extreme KONG, made from only the toughest USA natural rubber. For those who want to give toys in the form of time-consuming treats, the Classic and Extreme can be stuffed with treats. They also sell wild Grade-A elk antlers that have been naturally shed, so no elk are harmed.
They also have polyester plush toys, tennis balls covered in a scratchy felt fabric, and PolyTuff toys that are made from undisclosed materials. We would steer clear of these as far as “good boy toys” go.
About KONG
The origins of KONG take us way back…like 40 years back. Founder Joe Markham had a deep love for his furry friend Fritz, but wasn’t a fan of his destructive ways. When Fritz turned to destroying sticks and rocks, Joe wanted to find something better for him and his teeth.
In a strange turn of events, he noticed Fritz enjoyed chewing a rubber part from his Volkswagen Bus—and the Classic KONG was born. While they’re not the most eco-friendly dog toy brand, the durability of their toys speaks volumes.
Pawsome Pet Toys
Pawsome Pet Toys’s Natural Toys For Dogs
Price Range: $4–$35
Hemp fabric is the basis of all of Pawesome Pet Toys’ non-plastic, BPA-free dog toys. Hemp is antibacterial, mould-resistant, UV-resistant, good for dogs’ teeth, durable, and, most importantly, grown without toxins and herbicides—making for some of the most sustainable dog toys.
From heavy-duty tug toys to snuggly wool bones, Pawsome makes sustainable dog toys for labradors, chihuahuas and every breed in between. You’ll find hemp rope and hemp fabric in most products, with stuffed toys featuring additional natural, locally sourced wool stuffing.
If your dog’s breath is anything but playful, check out their natural deer horn chews and toys, ethically sourced post-shed from a local wild deer garden.
About Pawsome Pet Toys
Pawesome Pet Toys is a Latvian-based with a global customer base. Their 100% natural, sustainable pet products also feature cat toys, collars (including tick-repellant ones), leashes, chews, and cat scratchers. Everything is plastic-free and handmade in Europe using materials sourced there.
Ware Of The Dog
Ware Of The Dog’s Eco-Friendly Stuffed Dog Toys
Price Range: $15–$24
Ware of the Dog’s hand-crocheted dog toys are not made for serious chewers, but they take the award for most adorable. So adorable in fact that it might be difficult to watch these toys get destroyed by your pup. Perhaps these would be better suited as dog toys for poodles and other small breeds…
Even if it doesn’t last long, you can feel good about cleaning up its remnants, since these eco-friendly natural dog toys are made with either 100% recycled cotton t-shirt yarn, 100% organic cotton, or lambswool. That means they’re swallow-safe and fully compostable, down to the natural Swiss dyes with OEKO-TEX certification.
About Ware of the Dog
Ware of the Dog is a luxury dog brand started by NYC-based Jackie Rosenthal. Their toys, bowls, leashes, and collars all come from fair trade artisans and craftspeople in countries like Turkey and Nepal. Ware’s wares are shipped in recycled and recyclable packaging.
Hello!
Love all the info you share!
I was wondering if you are thinking of maybe making a book someday?
I sometimes have a hard time figuring out how to find the best options for zero waste products etc. as they are so commodified and expensive sometimes and your page and the suggestions and that you explain why and how you shoes those places etc. have been helpful I was just wondering, perhaps selfishly, if you have thought of putting them in book format (ebook or otherwise to save resources)? Thank you so much for all you do!
Thank you Castaneya, very kind of you to say that! Maybe one day!