Creative Ways to Reuse Your Pure Earth Pets Box
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Creative Ways to Reuse Your Pure Earth Pets Box
Did you know that 100 billion cardboard boxes are manufactured each year? According to ABB, a technology company, 75% of those boxes are recycled. Even with that significant percentage of boxes being recycled, that is still a lot of boxes, and a lot of new paper and trees being used to make them. In this blog post we will explain why our Pure Earth Pets boxes are not your average box, as well as some fun and creative ways to repurpose your box once you have shared all the new treats and toys with your pet.
Pure Earth Pet Boxes Are As Eco-Friendly As Our Products
Our boxes here at Pure Earth Pets are not your run of the mill box. When we started Pure Earth Pets, we knew that not only did we want our products to be eco-friendly, but our behind-the-scenes practices to also be kind to the earth. That is why the boxes in which we ship your Pure Earth Pets subscriptions and retail orders are from Eco Enclose, an eco-friendly manufacturer of boxes and shipping materials.
Each Pure Earth Pets box is made of 100% recycled materials and is specially sized for your order so that we do not ship excess air or to include excessive packing materials. They are also readily accepted as part of curbside recycling, so that you can recycle them easily. And finally, they are printed with soy ink, which is made from soybeans instead of petroleum.
Fun Ways to Repurpose Your Pure Earth Pets Box
There are a lot of ways to reuse a cardboard box. There is even a meme circulating periodically about how being an adult means contemplating keeping a really good box. You could ship something else or make signs for your next yard sale. You could use it to donate items to charity or get crafty and decorate it to use to organize small items. Or, you could really have fun and make it into an interactive toy for your pet. That’s the option we like!
Let Your Cat Have It
Ok, we know that cats love boxes, so this idea is not really stretching our creative muscles that much. It is true that your cat will be happy with just the empty box. However, you can take it one step further and add a towel or throw blanket, sprinkle in some catnip, and let them enjoy all that a simple cardboard box has to offer. Your cat will be living their best life while you save money on a new cat bed.
Make a Scratching Post for Your Cat
All you need are scissors, tape, and a cardboard box to make your cat a new scratching post from an empty box. We found several fun ways to do this on Pinterest, so you can make a circular scratching post by rolling strips of cardboard into a tight roll like a cinnamon bun. You can also make a scratching post by stacking pieces of cardboard on a rod or stringing them onto a piece of string or yarn. Your cat will love the three layers of paper, especially the wavy middle layer that is integral in corrugated cardboard boxes.
Snuffle Mat for Dogs
A snuffle mat is typically made from strips of fleece tied together on a rubber backing. You typically hide treats in the pieces of fleece so that your dog must use their sense of smell to find the treats. Instead of using a rubber backing, you could make a snuffle mat by cutting holes in a flattened box and using pieces of an old t-shirt or sweatshirt that is too worn out to donate to a charity to make the fluffy snuffle part.
Snuffle Box for Dogs
Instead of a snuffle mat, you can make a snuffle box using your Pure Earth Pets cardboard box, and paper that has been scrunched up and wrinkled. Hide treats among the layers of paper, so that your dog must use his/her nose to find the treats in the layers of bunched up paper. Just like the snuffle mat, this is a great mental exercise for your dog. It is even more eco-friendly when you use paper packing material that you have saved from packages you have received or magazines that are ready to be recycled. You could also use strips of old clothing that would be otherwise destined for the fabric recycling center. The more layers the better, just make sure you watch your dog to ensure that they are not eating the paper or getting stuck in layers of fabric.
As an alternative to using bunches of paper in your snuffle box, you can use empty toilet paper rolls. Save your empty rolls until you have enough to fill the entire box when they are placed standing up like a tube. Then drop dog treats into some of the tubes. Your dog will have fun using their nose to find the treats and then figure out how to remove the toilet paper rolls to get to their reward. Since toilet paper was one of the hot items of 2020, you might as well get double the use out of your purchase, and let’s face it, this is really the only non-disgusting way to get two uses out of a roll of toilet paper.
Nose Work Training
In Nose Work, dogs must find specific scents in a variety of environments, including in boxes that all look the same. You can save your Pure Earth Pets boxes for several months while you begin a Nose Work class, and then use them for practice. Or if you do not plan to take part in the official sport of Nose Work, you can hide treats in a few different boxes and have your dog find them using their nose without going through the official Nose Work training.
Create an Enrichment Box
We found this great idea at the ASPCA website. The idea is to add items to the box that are unusual for your dog to give them an opportunity to really get to investigate the items thoroughly. They suggest, “Gather odd items for the box, such as an umbrella, a dirty towel, an old shoe, a bath scrunchie, empty water bottle, an egg carton, a skateboard, a stuffed toy, a badminton birdie, a toy that makes noise when it moves, empty yogurt cups…anything!” We love this idea, and how there is really no limit to what you can put into the box. The goal of course is to let your dog investigate the items without chewing them, so we would stick to items too big to swallow and things that cannot hurt them in any way.
Extra Benefits from Repurposing Your Pure Earth Pets Box
We hope that you have fun thinking of ways to let your pet play with your empty Pure Earth Pets box. All the brainstorming that you are doing is just one more way of bonding with your beloved canine best friend. While we humans like to plan and schedule substantial portions of our lives, our pets are usually quite content to do simple things together. Checking out an enrichment box together or learning Nose Work as a team is emotionally rewarding for both you and your dog, and a fun way to spend time together.
What fun things have you done for your pets with your Pure Earth Pets box? We love to hear from you. Share your photos on Facebook, or tag us on Instagram using @pureearthpets.