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What do we mean by honest, uncompromised goodness?

As you may know, the name Hug covers more than cuddling our dogs and cats – although that’s a top priority. Snuggles aside, the letters in Hug literally stand for honest, uncompromised goodness. But what do we mean by that?

We know that our pets are what they eat; likewise, we are the choices we make as a business. So when we talk about honest, uncompromised goodness, we’re talking about making eco-friendly pet food – caring for our planet as well as our furry pals. We’re talking about everything from the provenance of our ingredients to the size of our carbon footprint. 

To mark Earth Day 2021, we thought we’d share how we put our commitment to making planet-friendly pet food into practice. 

Working with the good guys 

We’re big believers in supporting our community – locally and beyond. Teaming up with Ecologi is great, as we can see the direct impact of our funding across the globe. This fantastic organisation plants trees and invests in the best solutions for the environmental crises we face – now and in the future. Since joining, we’ve offset 72.89 tonnes of carbon emissions – equivalent to 180,840 miles driven in a car – and that figure will only climb. 

We’ve contributed to a range of Ecologi’s environmental projects, from preserving the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor in Guatemala to funding solar power in Maharashtra, India and onshore wind energy generation in Taiwan. For every new Hug customer, we plant a tree through Ecologi. We’re currently at a total of 1,218 trees, including Mangroves in Madagascar and Adansonia digitata in Mozambique.

An ingredients list that stands up to scrutiny

We’ve hand-selected the ingredients in our eco-friendly pet food with environmental impact at front of mind. In addition to being high welfare and free range, free run, or outdoor reared, all of our meat is sourced from suppliers committed to green farming methods. 

Our vegetables come from growers who manage their crops sustainably, and our salmon is supplied by select Norwegian suppliers who share our dedication to responsible farming and animal welfare. 

QRILL Pet, the only fishery to have earned an ‘A’ ranking from the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, supplies our krill. This incredible fishery pioneered a new technique that taps into just 1% of the krill biomass, leaving plenty behind for natural predators – ‘eco-harvesting’. Using unique technology, the trawl net remains beneath the water throughout the continuous harvesting operation; a conveyer hose is attached to the net, and a steady stream of water flows through the hose, bringing live fresh krill on board the ship for immediate processing. This technology also prevents the catch of other species.

To further reduce our impact on the planet, we’ve created a premium cold pressed vegetarian dog food, which is Vegetarian Society Approved. To achieve this trademark, the food has to meet various criteria:

• Only include free range eggs
• Be GMO-free
• Not contain any meat or fish – or get cross-contaminated during production

It delivers everything pooches need for optimal nutrition – you can make meat-free Mondays a fixture for them too!

Packaging we’re proud of

Eco-friendly pet food should mean eco-friendly packaging, and we’re really proud of ours. Aside from looking lovely, it’s designed with the planet in mind – and we’ll continue assessing it as even greener options become available. 

We’re not content to just say ‘recycle ready’ and be done with it. You’ll find recycling instructions with all of our products, covering every element from our paper insulation to our frozen food containers. 

Here are the basics:

• Ice packs – compostable
• Cardboard packing boxes – easily recycled 
• Film lids on our raw food pots – returnable to us (we’ll cover the postage and recycle them for you)
• Handles – easily recycled

Truly eco-friendly pet food

Whether you read one of our blog posts, catch an episode of our podcast, or pop into our store, you’ll know: we’re a straight-talkin’ bunch. We’re deeply committed to helping pets get healthier and happier while looking after our planet. 

Honest, uncompromised goodness means holding ourselves accountable every step of the way. If you have any questions or suggestions about our food or practices, please get in touch with our friendly team – we’re just a phone call away!