Purina’s Commitment to Pets & People & Planet Earth

At Purina we are committed to the health of pets and making high-quality products for them. We are also committed to the planet that we all share. Though our climate-focused goal of achieving net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050 drives much of the important work we do across our value chain, our sustainability work also includes water, packaging, and nature biodiversity. Our experts continually look for ways to better steward the Earth’s resources and reduce Purina’s environmental footprint.

Ingredients & Sourcing Regenerative Agriculture

Did you know that each ingredient used in Purina’s products is chosen specifically to meet the nutritional needs of pets based on their health and life stage? Purina has more than 500 pet nutrition and behavior scientists, veterinarians, and other credentialed pet experts on staff. For decades, these experts have been studying the nutrients our dogs and cats need, then selecting the right ingredients, like high-quality meat, grains, and vegetables, to ensure that every recipe will nourish pets and taste good.

Just as important as the ingredients themselves is how they are sourced – we can trace our ingredients back to our trusted suppliers. Because these ingredients are such an important part of our environmental footprint, we are working with suppliers and sustainability partners in the regions where we source our ingredients throughout the U.S. to promote and accelerate regenerative agriculture, a conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems that restores soil and ecosystem health and offers climate, water, and biodiversity benefits. One way Purina is doing this is by supporting the transition of rice production into sustainable practices through an agreement with Riceland Foods and Arval Intelligence’s agronomic AI platform. We’ve seen a total reduction and removal of more than 14,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and water savings of more than 2 billion gallons in just one year.

Reduce & Renew in Manufacturing and Logistics

Nearly all of Purina’s products sold in North America are manufactured in our own facilities across the U.S. An increasing portion of our total electricity today comes from clean energy, renewable resources such as solar, hydropower, wind, and investments in renewable energy. We are on track to reach our goal to have 100 percent renewable electricity across all of our factories and distribution centers by 2025. Our factories have been committed to reducing energy, water, and waste for decades. Similarly, our transportation network is now undergoing changes to increase the use of low carbon fuels and electric vehicles.

Recycle & Reuse in Packaging

We are committed to making sure that 95% of our packaging is designed for recycling by 2025 and will continue to pursue innovative, sustainable solutions for the balance. Today, 90 percent of Purina’s packaging in North America is designed for recycling. This includes our aluminum cans used for wet cat food and steel cans used for wet dog food, which can be recycled endlessly, significantly decreasing the amount of waste going to landfills as well as reducing our use of natural resources. Together with our consumers, we can make a difference by incorporating increasing amounts of recycled content into our packaging. Our Tidy Cats Naturally Strong litter jugs are made with 50% percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin, and we are working to increase the use of PCR across the Tidy Cats portfolio. If you’d like to know more about how you can recycle your pet food and litter containers visit https://www.purina.com/articles/our-stories/sustainability/eco-friendly-packaging.

Purina’s Sustainability Commitment

From the ingredients we source to manufacturing, transporting, and packaging our products, Purina is committed to providing families with the healthiest and most nutritious foods possible for their pets, and to remaining focused on our impact on the world we all share. Pets are our passion, and there is nothing quite like the bond we get to share with them. It is our promise to continue working for a better planet today, and for future generations of people and pets.

About the Author:

Gopi Sandhu, Vice President of Environmental Sustainability at Nestlé Purina

Gopi Sandhu began his career in environmental consulting, supporting a wide range of industrial clients ranging from aviation, petrochemical, energy, and consumer products. In 1998, Gopi joined Purina as an Environmental Engineer. He spent the next 24 years working to promote sustainable manufacturing practices throughout Purina’s North American operations, enabling Purina’s factories to grow responsibly, follow environmental laws, and achieve the Company’s sustainability targets for manufacturing. Gopi was promoted to his current role in 2022 and now reports to NPPC’s President & Chief Growth Officer. In this capacity, he partners with top management and functional leaders across NPPC’s entire value chain to develop and drive the Company’s environmental sustainability priorities.

Gopi is a member of the Water Environment Federation. His technical background includes water effluent management, energy conservation, renewables, and carbon and water benefits accounting. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, including his dog Milo, and enhancing biodiversity and water stewardship at home through native gardening.