Americans spent $67.8 billion on pet food and treats in 2024. More than 94 million U.S. households now include at least one pet. Whether your best animal friend is a dog, a cat, or a less common companion, you likely have some food packaging you’re looking to recycle.

Unfortunately, the scale of pet food packaging waste is staggering. The Pet Sustainability Coalition estimates that 300 million pounds of pet food and treat packaging waste is generated in the United States each year, and over 99% of it ends up in landfills rather than being recycled. The pet food industry produces an estimated 300 million pounds of plastic waste annually, with most packaging made from non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle materials.

Here’s a helpful guide on the recycling solutions for different pet food containers, and what you can do to make a difference.

The Environmental Impact

Pet food packaging contributes significantly to our environmental footprint. Most dry pet food bags are made of polypropylene (#5 plastic) or multi-layer materials that combine aluminum and plastic, making them challenging for conventional recycling programs to process.

According to rePurpose Global, 20 pet food brands have partnered with the organization to recover 2,000 tons of plastic waste from nature; the equivalent of 111 million plastic bottles. These partnerships are financing waste recovery in Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya, and India while creating income streams for over 4,500 waste workers.

The Pet Sustainability Coalition’s Packaging Pledge, commits signatory companies to transition to 100% recyclable, reusable, or compostable packaging. The first companies to join included Open Farm, Primal Pet Foods, Stella and Chewy’s, Canidae, Earth Animal, and Instinct.

Cans

Wet dog and cat food usually comes in steel cans, and steel is the most commonly recycled material in the U.S. This is the same material used for soup and coffee cans, so if you can recycle those in your community, pet food cans will also be accepted.

Canned foods are lined with Bisphenol A, or BPA, which prevents the metal from corroding and preserves the food. BPA has been linked to health risks in human children, but it won’t impact the recyclability of the can, as the liner is burned off during recycling.

How to recycle cans: Rinse empty cans and place them in your curbside recycling bin. Most municipalities accept steel and aluminum pet food cans with other metal containers.

Bags

Many pet owners buy dry pet food in bags. Not only is it less expensive, but the larger sizes save shopping time and money. Dry food used to be packaged in multi-wall paper bags, which were a more durable form of paper bags you’d find at the grocery store.

The industry has shifted to polypropylene composite bags because they’re more durable than paper. Although the bags may look like paper, if you try to tear them, you’ll quickly realize they’re not. Many bags are also made of multiple layers that combine plastic, aluminum, and other materials to preserve freshness and prevent moisture damage.

While polypropylene is commonly used for everything from laundry baskets to yogurt containers to reusable bags, the recycling market for polypropylene bags is limited. It’s unlikely they will be accepted in your curbside program, and grocery stores that accept plastic bags only want polyethylene bags (resins #2 and #4).

Brand Recycling Programs

Several pet food manufacturers have partnered with TerraCycle to offer free mail-in recycling programs for their flexible packaging. Here are the current options.

Free TerraCycle Partnership Programs

How it works: Create a free TerraCycle account, join the brand program, collect empty packaging (no need to wash), and download a free shipping label to mail your recyclables. Many programs also allow you to find or become a public drop-off location.

Earthborn Holistic’s ReBorn program celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025, having recycled over 2 million pet food bags and diverted more than 260,000 pounds of packaging from landfills.

Retail Drop-Off Programs

PetSmart: In partnership with TerraCycle and brand sponsors (Tiki Cat, Hill’s, Authority, Royal Canin, Canidae, and Simply Nourish), PetSmart offers in-store recycling for all brands of pet food, treats, and litter bags at select locations in Arizona and New Jersey, which are piloting the effort. Look for the TerraCycle collection box in-store.

Pet Supplies Plus & Wag N’ Wash: These retailers have partnered with TerraCycle to accept pet food, treat, and litter bags from all brands at participating locations nationwide. No TerraCycle account is needed, just drop off your empty bags.

Paid Option: TerraCycle Zero Waste Box

If your preferred brand doesn’t have a free program, you can purchase a Pet Food Packaging Zero Waste Box from TerraCycle. The smallest box starts at $134, but you can share the cost with neighbors, your apartment building, or a community group. This option accepts packaging from any brand.

Other Packaging

Pouches and Treat Packaging

If you buy pet snacks and treats, they usually come in plastic pouches. These are primarily polyethylene but contain other materials, so they don’t belong in grocery store bag recycling bins. Check if your treat brand participates in a TerraCycle program. If not, you’ll need to purchase a Zero Waste Box or these items will need to go in the trash.

Some treat companies are innovating: Mars Petcare has expanded its use of compostable M&M’s-style packaging to pet treats in some markets, and several brands are testing compostable films for treats.

Fish Food

Fish food usually comes in a plastic container. Even though it doesn’t look like a bottle or contain a neck, this product is recyclable with other #1 plastic bottles if your local program accepts them. You may need to remove the cap and either discard or recycle it separately, depending on your local program.

Packaging Innovations

The pet food industry is actively developing more sustainable packaging options.

Paper-based alternatives: German pet food startup Wynn Petfood recently announced it will switch its packaging to 100% paper, using Koehler Paper’s NexFlex barrier paper technology—a first for wet food blends. Phoenix Bark uses compostable parchment sheets and recyclable paper sleeves.

Recyclable mono-materials: TC Transcontinental Packaging has invested in Biaxially Oriented Polyethylene (BOPE) technology, creating fully recyclable mono-material packaging. Their VieVERTe product line includes recyclable mono-material films that are under review by How2Recycle.

Post-consumer recycled content: Mars Petcare launched 60% post-consumer recycled (PCR) pouches for its Schmackos brand in Australia, eliminating 350 tons of plastic by transitioning its Whiskas cat food from pots to pouches. Nestlé Purina reports that about 80% of its packaging is currently recyclable.

PFAS-free options: UPM Specialty Papers has developed grease-resistant packaging paper that achieves barrier properties without PFAS “forever chemicals,” making them recyclable in existing fiber recycling streams.

Extended Producer Responsibility: What’s Next

As of October 2025, seven states have enacted comprehensive extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws focused on packaging: California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington. These laws require companies that sell products in packaging to help fund collection, sorting, and recycling systems.

For pet food manufacturers, this means:

• Packaging choices will increasingly factor in recyclability and compliance costs
• Flexible bags and pouches face different realities than aluminum cans
• California’s SB 54 sets 2032 targets and will raise $5 billion over 10 years for recycling infrastructure.

Multiple additional states introduced EPR bills in 2025, including New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Illinois, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Hawaii—signaling that this regulatory approach is gaining momentum

Editor’s Note: Originally published on May 11, 2018, this article was most recently updated in December 2025.