Dog

Steve's is one of the first pet food companies to commit to a green way of life. It starts with locally sourcing their ingredients from smaller family owned farms in the nNrthwest. They support the local farmer because "these are the guys that care and understand the importance of sustainable farming," says Gary Bursell, President and CEO. He also notes that "since day one we focused on using humanely raised animals without the use of hormones or steroids, because these meats are higher in vitamins and nutrients."

Steve's realized that they were naturally greener then processed kibble or canned manufactures, so when it came time to update the look of the packaging; they wanted to take it a step further and go eco-friendly. "We contacted several flexible packaging vendors only to find ‘bio-degradable' packaging which still takes at least 6 years to leave this earth," says Nicole Lindsley, project manager. "I really wanted a solution that was green, not just one that sounded green." Eagle Flexible Packaging had just that. They introduced Steve's to NVIRO Flexible Packaging, a ground-breaking product that is green from the zipper to the sealant. NVIRO Flexible Packaging utilizes materials derived from renewable resources - corn and plant starches, which allow it to compost in a municipal composting environment. The new Steve's bag is also produced using water based inks which are lower in volatile organic compounds (less than 5 percent VOCs).

Lindsley notes that in addition to Eagle Flexible Packaging being eco-focused, they met Steve's requirements for having a US based facility, which is not common for flexible packaging. "When picking a vendor it is important that they represent your product's goals. You can't say you support local business but then buy one of your most costly inventory items from China," says Nicole.

The company plans to complete the green packaging project in January of 2012 replacing their 10lb bag with a similar green solution. They are currently testing the bag strength to ensure it can hold-up to the additional weight.