The blog formerly known as   Fake Plastic Fish

July 8, 2008

Dear GPC Pet Products

Here’s my weekly consumer letter. Okay, not actually weekly. I didn’t write one last week. But I sent this one twice, both as an email (via http://www.gpcpet.com/Contact/default.aspx) and as an actual letter. Does that make up for last week?

July 7, 2008

GPC Pet Products
1600 Oregon Street
Muscatine , IA 52761

Dear GPC Pet Products:

I have been using World’s Best Cat Litter for several months now. I find it to be very effective and efficient; a little goes a long way. I have two cats, and compared to other litters I have tried, World’s Best clumps the best, tracks less, and smells better.

However, there is one aspect of the product that I don’t care for, and that is the packaging. It saddens me each time I must dispose of the heavy plastic bag, a bag that is not recyclable in my community and that is made from a non-biodegradable material. I urge you to consider switching to a biodegradable paper bag instead.

I have tried SweatScoop cat litter, which is packaged in a heavy paper bag. I appreciate that the bag can be recycled at the end of its life or composted, unlike the World’s Best Cat Litter bag. To be honest, I’m torn between the two brands. Because, while World’s Best Cat Litter seems to work better than the SweatScoop, it also seems to be less environmentally-friendly.

As you probably know, many consumers are becoming more and more environmentally conscious these days and want to do the right thing for the planet. Please help us to keep plastic out of our landfills and incinerators by switching to biodegradable or compostable packaging.

Sincerely,
Beth Terry

I feel that if I’m going to buy products packaged in plastic, the very least I can do is write to the company and ask them to reconsider their packaging choices. It’s the least any of us can do. Really. It’s soooo easy. Why don’t more people do it?

2 Responses to “Dear GPC Pet Products”

  1. And Rob, regarding your comment on a previous post, yes, I read everything that everyone writes! And obviously your comments stay in my head and pop out in posts at random moments. So let this be a lesson to you. If you comment here, be prepared to be quoted when you least expect it!

    Reply

  2. Hi, Tracey. I hate to be the one to tell you this (okay, I don’t hate it or I wouldn’t be doing it all the time on my blog) but most likely that “wax board” soy milk carton is actually coated with PE (aka #1 plastic.) Milk cartons, and that includes soy milk cartons, haven’t been coated with actual wax since the 50’s. I wrote about stuff like that here:< http://myplasticfreelife.com/2007/11/hidden-plastic/

    But that’s not the point of your comment, and I do commend you for your hard core attitude. Nothing will change if people keep giving in… like I have with the cat litter!

    But but but… honest to god, nothing I have tried works better. The SweatScoop is dusty and doesn’t clump properly and tracks all over the G.D. house. PLUS, it can’t be good for the environment that I have to use soooo much of it. That’s the other thing that’s great about World’s Best Cat litter. Yes, maybe it’s made from corn (strike 1) and maybe it’s in a plastic bag (strike 2) but I use much, much less of it than I do the SweatScoop.

    And yes, I know Allie has her homemade newspaper cat litter. And maybe after I kick all my other unhealthy behaviors and habits I’ll have time to actually try it. But until then…

    I worship at your hardcore feet.

    🙂

    (Now where did I put that whip?)

    Reply