Sustainability

Better for dogs. Better for the planet. Better all round.

We started Waggy Tail Treats Co because we wanted to do this properly. That means thinking carefully about every part of how we operate, not just what goes in the box but how it gets there, who makes it, and what happens after your dog has enjoyed it.

We're a small business and we're not perfect. But we've built sustainability into the foundations from day one, and here's how.

How we choose our suppliers

Every supplier we work with is approved and traceable. No mystery sources, no imported chews from unregulated markets, no "we're not sure where this came from" products.

Many of our gourmet treats come from Pet Treats Wholesale, based right here in Burton-on-Trent. They're a family business who've been producing natural treats for over a decade, all made in Britain from approved British and EU meat. We can drive to their facility in twelve minutes.

Our long-lasting natural chews come from Anco Dog Treats, a Scottish family business with more than thirty years in the industry. Their products are responsibly sourced and naturally produced, including ethical wildlife by-products like deer antlers (naturally shed) and yak bars (a traditional Himalayan recipe that's been made the same way for centuries).

Single-ingredient, single source

Every chew in our boxes is single-ingredient. That means it's one animal-based product, naturally dried or air-cured, with no added preservatives, colours, fillers, or processed nasties.

When we say a treat is "100% chicken", that's exactly what's in the bag. No questions, no surprises, no ingredient lists you can't pronounce.

This matters for sustainability because it means we use the whole animal. Treats like trachea, gullet, ears, paws and tendons are nose-to-tail by-products of the human food industry. By using these parts as dog treats, we're reducing waste from meat production, not creating new demand for farming.

Plastic-free packaging

Every Waggy Tail Treats Co box arrives in 100% recyclable packaging. No plastic windows, no polystyrene fillers, no plastic-coated cardboard.

  • The mailing box is kraft cardboard, made from recycled paper, fully recyclable
  • The tissue paper inside is recyclable and unbleached
  • The label is paper, not plastic-coated
  • The fill (where needed) is shredded recycled paper, not air pillows or plastic

Once your dog has enjoyed everything inside, the whole box and packaging can go straight in your kerbside recycling.

We use Royal Mail to deliver every box, which has the lowest carbon footprint of any UK courier per parcel.

What we're working on

We're being honest here. There are areas we're still improving.

Inner product packaging. Some of our individual treats from suppliers still come in plastic-lined bags for food safety reasons. We're actively working with our suppliers to push for compostable or fully recyclable alternatives, but this is something we can't change overnight.

Carbon offsetting. We're not yet offsetting our delivery emissions. As we grow, this is on our list. For now, choosing Royal Mail (the lowest-emission UK carrier) is the best step we can take.

Local sourcing. Most of our suppliers are British and EU, but a small number of premium chews (like yak bars) are sourced from the Himalayas where they've traditionally been made for hundreds of years. We've kept these in our range because they're a genuinely natural product made by skilled hand-rollers, and supporting traditional production is part of the picture too. We're transparent about it because we should be.

Small batches, less waste

We're not a warehouse operation. We hand-pack every box in small batches, which means we order stock based on actual demand rather than huge speculative orders. That keeps stock fresh, reduces unsold inventory, and means we can adjust quickly as we learn what our customers love.

We don't run aggressive promotional campaigns to clear excess stock because we don't have any. Every box that leaves us has been packed for a specific customer order.

Looking ahead

Sustainability isn't a destination, it's a direction. As Waggy Tail Treats Co grows, our commitments will grow too.

What we promise:

  • We'll keep choosing suppliers based on ethical production, not just price
  • We'll keep our packaging fully recyclable as standard
  • We'll be honest about what we haven't solved yet
  • We'll listen if you spot something we should be doing better

Got an idea or a question about how we operate? We'd love to hear it. Email us at info@waggytailtreatsco.com.