All-natural dog treat manufacturer Campfire Treats announced that it has completed its transition to plastic-free, 100% biodegradable and fully recyclable shipping materials.

“With our expanding business, we became increasingly frustrated about the amount of waste we were creating when sending out deliveries to our customers,” says Campfire Treats’ president and co-founder Marko Wittich.

In a statement, the company says that less than 10% of all plastic is recycled, making it one of the most widespread pollutants on the planet. Especially problematic to recycle are material combinations. This includes conventional shipping components like bubble wrap, plastic sealing tape and labels which generate a staggering amount of non-recyclable waste. These are used out of habit and convenience but aren’t necessary. Most shipping materials don’t need to contain plastic to be effective.

“Environmentally friendly shipping materials are no compromise. Their product protection characteristics are outstanding and the materials are no more expensive than plastic-based solutions. Everything is commercially available. There is really no excuse for any direct-to-consumer business to keep using shipping materials containing plastic,” says Wittich.

Campfire Treats transitioned gradually from plastic to paper-based shipping and packing materials — the company says it now uses corrugated cardboard boxes, kraft paper for cushioning, plastic-free tape and shipping labels made without silicone-based liners. Everything is reportedly entirely plastic-free, 100% biodegradable and fully recyclable.

“Nothing in our transition to environmentally friendly shipping materials demanded the skillset of a rocket scientist,” says Wittich.

Wittich acknowledges that this is only a small step but hopes that others will be inspired by Campfire Treats and stop using plastic-based shipping materials when they see how easy the transition has been.

“We’re also encouraging our customers to reach out to other businesses they order from and ask them to transition to plastic-free, biodegradable and recyclable packaging materials as well,” says Wittich.

Not stopping there, Campfire Treats says it is working to make every aspect of their production more sustainable, from ethical sourcing of meats from humanely raised farm animals to improved product packaging.

“We may not be able to change the entire $40+ billion pet food industry, but every little step counts to protect our planet,” says Wittich.