Podcast: Sustainable Pet Food Packaging—What’s Real, What’s Greenwashed, and What’s Next?

From compostable bags to recyclable pouches, sustainable packaging is one of the most visible promises pet food brands make. In this episode of Barking Mad, we unpack the complex world of eco-friendly pet food packaging, examining which claims are credible, what solutions are truly scalable, and how a big-picture approach is reshaping how brands define sustainability.

Co-hosts Dr. Stephanie Clark and Jordan Tyler speak with industry experts, packaging engineers, and passionate innovators to clarify which materials (like mono-material plastics, bio-based materials, and compostable bags) can actually reduce environmental impact—and which ones might just be marketing fluff. From carbon intensity to challenges with recyclability, this episode unpacks this complex issue and asks smart questions to empower pet owners and industry players to move toward more circular solutions.

What You’ll Learn 🔍

• How “recyclable” doesn’t always mean “recycled”
• The environmental tradeoffs of plastic, paper, compostable, and bio-based packaging
• Why life cycle analysis (LCA) is critical to understanding real sustainability
• How greenwashing happens—and how to avoid being misled
• What the future holds: next-gen materials, necessary investment, and policy pressure

🎧 Find Barking Mad on the BSM Partners website, as well as on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, and Podlink.

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About the Author

Jordan Tyler is the Director of Media at BSM Partners and co-host of the Barking Mad podcast. She has more than five years of experience reporting on trends, best practices and developments in the North American pet nutrition industry. Jordan resides in Bentonville, Arkansas, with her husband and their four furry family members.