Petco 2020 Sustainability Report

Purpose in action

Petco is committed to being the leading, most trusted resource in pet care. To make it official, they even added “The Health + Wellness Co.” to their brand name. They provide a comprehensive portfolio of essential nutrition, products, services, and veterinary care to address pet health and wellness needs.

Their mission is to improve the lives of pets, pet parents, and their more than 27,000 employees (or partners, as they call them). They operate more than 1,500 Pet Care Centers (stores) across the U.S., Mexico, and Puerto Rico.

The same year they went public, Petco released their first-ever Sustainability Report in an effort to raise the bar for sustainability in pet care and preserve the health of not only pets but the planet, too. Petco’s sustainability efforts can be distilled into three pillars of action: 1) Setting the standard in responsible animal care, 2) Helping people thrive, and 3) Preserving the health of our planet. This executive summary assesses Petco’s Purpose-Driven Performance and highlights the tools and insights you can apply in your own organization.

Saved 30,000 pounds of plastic packaging material
Eliminated an estimated 3.6M pounds of cardboard waste in 2020 alone
Increasing assortment of sustainable products to 50% by the end of 2025
Upcycled 1.5M plastic bottles into toys and accessories
Each product contains 55% recycled content (will increase to 75% in 2021)
Reddy (a Petco-owned brand) products must contain at least 65% recycled content
Digitized animal information cards to save around 2.2M paper cards each year
More than 93% of aquatic life sold is aquacultured
Reduced water used to bathe dogs with new dispensing system
National Support Center in San Diego is topped with an 854-kW solar panel system that provides nearly half the building’s electricity for a typical year

92%

less plastic used in packaging

1.5M

plastic bottles upcycled into pet toys and accessories

We’re committing to increasing our assortment of sustainable products to 50% by the end of 2025.

Petco has leveraged their owned and exclusive merchandise portfolio and partnerships with premium third-party brands to deliver high-quality nutrition and elevated product offerings—giving guests more options to purchase quality healthy, sustainable items for their pets. Their stringent vendor protocols for suppliers and extensive training ensure animal welfare every step of the way.

In 2019, they paved the way in the industry by becoming the only national pet retailer to remove dog and cat food and treat products containing artificial ingredients. The next year, they extended their nutrition standards to other companion animal food and can now say that rabbit, chinchilla, guinea pig, gerbil, hamster, rat, mouse, and fish foods are free of artificial ingredients, too.

In addition to expanding the sustainable offering of their owned brands, they’ve also begun adding several innovative brands to their Pet Care Centers and online that have developed nutritious environmental and waste-conscious pet treats. They encourage pet owners to be more sustainable by promoting reusable and refillable items they can bring back to fill rather than single-use or individually packaged items.

From reducing the total number of journeys in distribution to their solar-powered headquarters, Petco’s sustainable initiatives transcend across their operations, company, and products. Their working standards around marine life drive an even larger environmental impact for future generations to come.

Looking ahead, Petco is committed to increasing its assortment of sustainable products to 50% by the end of 2025 — the only retailer in the industry to make a commitment of this kind.

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We strongly believe that if it’s good for pets, people, and the planet, it’s good for Petco.