Powering Up Pet Food Recycling with Return and Earn
Story supplied by Return and Earn.
Pet food saved from landfill is being repurposed to help feed family pets impacted by the cost-of-living crisis—and Return and Earn donations are being called for to help get the food where it is needed most.
Since 2019, the Animal Rescue Cooperative (ARC) charity has been on the frontline of major disasters such as bushfires and floods, redistributing tonnes of food and medical supplies to assist rescuers and carers feed and treat wildlife.
Now, ARC is also working with community grocery pantries to help families and pets stay together in the face of rising living costs. The charity is keen for donations from Return and Earn bottles, cans, and cartons to help fund their vital work, says ARC Sydney hub lead and logistics coordinator Sarah Tomsett.
“There’s such great demand. Fifty per cent of the food now goes to outreach and the other 50 per cent goes to rescues," Sarah explains.
“If you can help someone feed their pet, it is one less thing people have to worry about.”
The connection with community pantries originally began during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
“People couldn’t come and pick up because of all the restrictions, so we started reaching out to community food pantries and built a network to give them pet food for people who were struggling to feed their animals, especially people who couldn’t work,” Sarah says.
The initiative also highlights a heart-breaking reality for many families choosing between their own meals and their pets.
“A lot of the food pantries were finding people who were coming in to get a hamper were feeding the protein in the hamper to their dogs and they were living on rice and beans and pasta. If you add some dog food as well, then they get a decent feed and so do the pets.”
The Power of Smarter Logistics
The pet food industry, supermarkets, and medical facilities donate product approaching its end date to ARC for redistribution. The Petbarn Foundation is a major supporter of the charity.
The scale of ARC's operation is massive. Last year, the charity helped with 2,952 requests across Australia, delivering over 440 tonnes of pet food and supplies.
“That is more than 4 million animal meals and an estimated 2,024 tonnes of carbon saved through smarter logistics and reuse,” Sarah says. “This does not even count the extra impact from repurposed medical gear and retail stock.”
How You Can Support ARC
**No spare cash? You can still make a difference.** Funds from ARC’s Return and Earn campaign will be used directly to cover the cost of transporting and storing food right where it is needed most.
So far, eco-conscious recyclers have donated over 7,000 containers, raising $740 toward ARC’s ultimate goal of $5,000 to fight animal hunger and sickness.
“It is a nice way for people to help, who may not have much money to donate but they can donate their bottles,” says Sarah.
- To Donate: Search for ARC Food Rescue Program in the charity section of the Return and Earn app.
- To Learn More: Visit their webpage at arcsupport.org.au.
More From Our Dog Care Champions Hub
- 🐾 Recycling for a Cause: Discover how eco-conscious Aussies successfully funded the training of three life-changing helper pups in our feature, Recyclers Fund Three New Guide Dogs.
- 🐾 Winter Crisis Appeal: Read about how Victoria's Pets of the Homeless is fighting a similar battle to keep families and their beloved animals together this season at the POTH Virtual Pet Food Drive Winter Appeal.
