Sustainable pet brand Beco holds a little soft spot in our hearts, because Phoebe’s first ever toy when we rescued her was their recycled plastic giraffe. Ever since, we’ve made it a tradition to get newbie Scamps a Beco toy, with Frank having had the bear, and Winston’s coming home gift being their orange monkey.
We’ve since used lots of different Beco products, including their OG bowls, collapsible travel bowls and Phoebe’s favourite ball on a rope. We had no idea they even sold treats until we spotted them in Slickers dog shop while on holiday. Naturally, I picked up one of everything to give them a go.
Read more: The Beco hemp rope toy that’s lasted longer than a week
Beco launched in 2009 when, while looking for a manufacturing byproduct that was recyclable, founder George discovered that Chinese chopstick offcuts could be turned into bowls. That ingenuity and creativity has continued over the last decade, bringing eco-conscious owners more products to help them lead a more sustainable life as a pet parent, including their toys, compostable poop bags, and a planet friendly kibble.
George said: “Since day one, we’ve been working to help you reduce the environmental impact of your pet. We’ve come a long way, but there’s lots more we want to achieve.
“I’m immensely proud of what the team at Beco have achieved so far. We promise to continue searching for ways to reduce the impact of our products, whilst working to offset what remains, and having a lot of fun in the process. We believe that every dog and cat, little or large, can make a difference.”
As a result of environmental pressures and the climate crisis, Beco are offering pet owners a delicious bundle of plant and insect based treats. A lot of dog treats tend to contain meat, which is a major source of deforestation, higher rates of CO2 and methane emissions. Similarly around 106 million tonnes of CO2 is generated every year by the pet food industry. Insects and plants take less space and time to grow, creating less CO2 while offering pets a low calorie, high protein treat.
The Beco treats come in four plant and insect based flavours, including peanut, cashew, dog choc and insect. The soft baked bone-shaped biscuits come in 70g pouches and are packed with healthy ingredients and botanicals to keep your pets happy and healthy.
The Cashew treats are made with pumpkin seed and carrot, baked in an oven powered by renewable energy, no less. Buttery cashews are a fab plant based protein that can aid muscle development, while carrot is a great immune booster. As well as being suitably seasonal, pumpkin seeds contain vitamins and minerals, as well as zinc which can help improve skin and coat for your pooch.
Crunchy protein-packed peanuts are paired with anti-inflammatory turmeric and sweet coconut for the next biscuit. It’s a firm favourite with the scamps who go barking mad for peanut butter, so these earned themselves five-star lip-licking reviews. Extra bonus? It’s got a sneaky bit of parsley in it too, which is a natural breath freshener.
The darkest of the biscuits is the dog choc flavour, which contains the fruit-based chocolate alternative, carob, which – unlike chocolate – is completely safe for dogs.This biscuit is like easing into a cosy PSL for your pooch, wit calming chamomile helping to relax anxious dogs and help them settle into their afternoon nap. Meanwhile, quinoa brings the protein punch for healthy muscles, as well as antioxidants for staying healthy.
Last but not least was the insect treats, which have been thoroughly tried, tested and tasted by the canine colleagues at Beco – and reportedly passed with flying colours. They passed the Scamps test too – no upturned snoots here.
Insects are hypoallergenic with a low carbon footprint when compared to other sources of meat protein. They’re said to have an earthy taste that dogs love – but I won’t be confirming that one for you any time soon, I’ll trust the Scamps snuffling them up instead. The treats also contain sweet and crunchy apple and chia seeds, which are a source of calcium and Omega 3 for healthy bones and heart.
Each of the treats has a different colour, so even if you pop them all in the same treat jar, you can usually tell what’s what. The pocket-sized treats come in a compostable packaging, continuing the eco-friendly ethos Beco are best loved for. We’re all looking for ways to cut down on our meat intake where we can, and these little bone-shaped biscuits can help your dog do the same, without them even knowing it, reducing their carbon pawprint. Good for your dog, easy on the planet – what’s not to love?
These treats cost £2.99 per pack, or £11.49 for the treat tasting bundle which contains one of each flavour, saving shoppers 47p. You can shop the treats on the Beco website here.
Read more:
- Three Enviropaws products that can help you become a more sustainable dog owner
- Bearkind eco-friendly dog subscription box
- Six ways to be an eco-friendly pet owner as COP26 shines light on climate crisis
