PSC brings back Plastic Recovery July for 2026
Bottom line
The Pet Sustainability Coalition, or PSC, has brought back Plastic Recovery July for 2026, again partnering with rePurpose Global to help pet companies fund verified plastic recovery projects worldwide. The campaign follows its 2025 debut, when 14 pet industry companies funded the recovery of more than 92,000 pounds of plastic waste across Kenya, India, and Indonesia, while supporting more than 1,070 waste workers. This year’s program will route funds through rePurpose Global’s Verified Plastic Recovery framework and may support one of 13 active projects across six countries. The World Pet Association is also underwriting an expansion with a goal of 50,000 pounds of plastic recovery, and early supporters include Earth Animal, Ahlstrom, Bimini Pet Health, InClover, Petcurean, Morris Packaging, and Royal Canin. (petsustainability.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is another sign that sustainability is moving from brand messaging into measurable supply-chain action across the pet sector. Clinics, hospitals, and pet parents are paying closer attention to packaging waste, and initiatives like this give manufacturers and suppliers a near-term option while longer-term packaging redesign remains slow, costly, and technically challenging. PSC says the program is open across the pet supply chain, not just to brands, which suggests broader industry pressure around packaging accountability. (petsustainability.org)
What to watch: Watch for how many companies join this year, which recovery projects receive the funding, and whether PSC discloses results that match or exceed the 2025 campaign. (petsustainability.org)
The Pet Sustainability Coalition is reviving Plastic Recovery July for 2026, expanding an industry campaign that asks pet brands, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and retailers to fund verified plastic recovery projects around the world. PSC is again working with rePurpose Global, and the campaign comes after a 2025 launch that recovered more than 92,000 pounds of plastic waste through projects in Kenya, India, and Indonesia. (petsustainability.org)
The return of the program reflects a broader reality in the pet industry: packaging remains one of the hardest sustainability problems to solve quickly. PSC’s own announcement frames plastic recovery as a practical interim step while companies work through the slower issues of packaging performance, cost, supply-chain constraints, and recycling infrastructure. That positioning matters because it shows the coalition is not presenting recovery as a substitute for redesign, but as something companies can do now while longer-term packaging transitions continue. (petsustainability.org)
This year’s campaign will use rePurpose Global’s Verified Plastic Recovery framework, which PSC and trade coverage describe as a system for tracking and verifying recovered plastic through collection and end-of-life processing. Funds raised this July will support one of rePurpose Global’s 13 active projects across six countries in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and sub-Saharan Africa. PSC and trade reports point to examples including projects tied to coral ecosystem protection in Bali, whale breeding grounds on Colombia’s Pacific coast, and women-led waste collection networks in India. rePurpose says its broader network has now helped recover more than 100 million pounds of plastic waste globally. (petsustainability.org)
The 2025 campaign gives the clearest benchmark for what PSC is trying to build. According to PSC and trade reporting, the inaugural effort brought together 14 companies, recovered more than 92,000 pounds of plastic waste, and supported more than 1,070 waste workers. PSC also said the first campaign helped protect coral reefs, mangrove forests, and the Himalayan foothills, while supporting workforce opportunities for more than 800 women in local communities. For 2026, the World Pet Association is underwriting expansion of the initiative with a 50,000-pound recovery goal, and participation packages range from $1,000 to $10,000, with PSC member credits available for some companies. (petsustainability.org)
Early backing suggests the campaign is drawing support from across the pet supply chain rather than only consumer-facing brands. Reported early supporters include Earth Animal, Printpack, Ahlstrom, Bimini Pet Health, Cloud Star, InClover, Petcurean Pet Nutrition, Polkadog, Material Motion, Morris Packaging, and Royal Canin. That cross-section is notable because it indicates sustainability pressure is reaching converters, packaging partners, and ingredient-adjacent suppliers, not just finished-product marketers. That’s an inference, but it’s consistent with PSC’s framing of the initiative as industry-wide. (petfoodindustry.com)
Industry commentary around the announcement has centered on credibility and scale. Pet trade coverage emphasized that participating companies receive verified recovery impact data and communication assets, while PSC stressed that every pound recovered is meant to be tracked and tied to livelihoods for waste workers. rePurpose’s public materials similarly emphasize third-party-audited standards and traceability. That focus matters in a market where sustainability claims are facing more scrutiny, and where companies increasingly need evidence behind environmental messaging. (petfoodindustry.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the direct operational impact may be limited today, but the signal is important. Sustainability is becoming a more visible part of how pet food and pet care companies position themselves with retailers, partners, and pet parents. As packaging claims, sourcing claims, and waste-reduction claims become more common, veterinary teams may increasingly be asked to help interpret what those claims actually mean. Programs like Plastic Recovery July also show how industry groups are trying to create measurable standards around environmental action, which could shape future purchasing expectations across clinics, hospitals, and distribution networks. (petsustainability.org)
What to watch: The next markers will be participation totals, the final pounds funded for recovery, and whether PSC identifies the specific rePurpose projects supported after the campaign closes. Just as important will be whether the initiative remains a one-month awareness event or becomes a more durable model for year-round packaging accountability in the pet sector. (petsustainability.org)