At Lyka, we’re proud to say we have implemented a range of sustainability initiatives to reduce our pawprint — aligning with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.
We strongly believe that our puppers deserve great food, but it shouldn’t be at the cost of our planet. That’s why we’ve worked hard to become Australia’s only carbon and single-use plastic negative dog food — donating over 2% of our revenue to environmental causes.
Our ingredients – fresh, local, and perfectly imperfect
Did you know that over 30% of food is wasted? A percentage that is far too high, so to avoid being a part of this problem, we support local farmers by sourcing and using veggies that are deemed too ugly for supermarket shelves. So, whilst our veggies may not be the prettiest, they certainly are bursting with nutritious goodness for your pupper. Our recipes make use of the entire vegetable, including seeds and skins to add extra nutritional value.
There’s truly no need for good quality veggies to go to waste – the uglier the better! By not ending up in landfill, these veggies don’t release methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
At Lyka we source from ethical and sustainable suppliers, with 85-95% of our produce coming from Aussie farmers to minimise freight and food transportation.
Our cooking process
Lightly cooked food comes with the benefit of killing potential bacteria and pathogens — but it’s also better for the planet! Our cooking process generates a tenth of the greenhouse gases emitted by kibble companies, who use temperatures upwards of 200°C.
Even after your pup’s meals are made and on their way to your door, nothing goes to waste in our kitchens. The animal fat we remove from our recipes becomes soap, biodiesel and other materials: since we donate this to an oil collection company!
Our packaging – let’s break it down
To protect the planet and support sustainability, we have worked hard to make sure all elements of our product are recyclable or biodegradable: even down to our Welcome Booklet and flyers, and the pallet and shrink wrap used to pack deliveries!
The box
Your pupper’s delivery box has been designed to be tossed in your regular recycling bin with all your other boxes, bottles and paper scraps. In our human-grade kitchens, we recycle 90% of our cardboard and paper.
The pouches
Did you know, Lyka is the first Australian company to use bio-based sugarcane plastic? Previously our meals were packaged in soft plastic: with fewer ways for consumers to dispose of these materials, we spent 18 months collaborating with our suppliers to find an alternative. While it’s still a soft LDPE plastic and not biodegradable, it is carbon-negative and derived from a renewable resource.
Give your Lyka pouches a wash, dry them out and drop them off at your closest soft plastics recycling facility.
The wool insulation
One of the coolest parts of our packaging is our wool insulation. It is compostable, and recyclable: but it can also be repurposed in a multitude of ways. All it takes is some creative thinking. Our clever pack members have used it to insulate caravans and bedheads, while others have used it as food for worm farms — or as extra stuffing in pet beds!
The insulation wrapping
Our biodegradable wrapping breaks down in six months when tossed into your regular bin or even an organics bin if you have one. Softer than our original wrapping, the new material allows us to maintain the high-quality insulation, whilst also doing our bit to help the planet.
Pupper Supps
Our Pupper Supps packaging uses 99% recycled plastic to maintain the longest shelf life possible, along with 99% recycled cardboard for the outer packaging — these can be popped into your home recycle bin. The tray cover can be recycled at soft plastic recycling facilities.
Treats
Our treats packaging is completely biodegradable — you can simply pop it in your regular rubbish bin or compost bin, and it’ll break down in 3–8 months. That’s less than the two years it takes for a banana peel to break down!
Lyka treat pouches are made of paper, with an inner lining of compostable PLA plastic. No microplastics are produced when this packaging disintegrates.
Desiccant
Desiccant sachets are the little packets of gel you often find in products — they absorb moisture, protecting items from humidity on its journey to your home. Usually, these are made from plastic: making them harmful to the environment.
We use clay desiccants to transport your pup’s food — they’re safer and wrapped in paper.
Committing to being green from snoot to tail
Our commitment to the planet is real. ‘Going green’ is not just lip service for us.
Our carbon footprint
In 2022, 7% of our energy came from renewable energy rather than fossil fuels.
We’ve installed solar panels with a total power of 99kWp at our Wetherill Park Facility (with plans to install more panels at other facilities very soon) — producing 73,255 kWh of electricity.
Our emissions are offset by planting native trees across Australia — to date, we’ve planted 24,000 on behalf of the Lyka pack. We do this via our partnership with GreenFleet, one of the most reputable carbon project managers in the country.
Our single-use plastic negative status
As Australia’s only single-use plastic negative dog food brand, Lyka has removed 17,000kg of plastic (or 1.3 million 600mL water bottles) from the ocean. For every gram of plastic used in our operations, we remove two grams of plastic from marine ecosystems — thanks to our partners at rePurpose. Through Project Laut Yang Tenang, we’re helping to keep plastic waste off Indonesian coastlines.
Reviving ecosystems
Biodiversity keeps ecosystems healthy, which is why we’re dedicated to sustaining it through various projects and choices we make at Lyka. Our reforestation efforts have led to the preservation of native species, including Strzelecki koalas, Southern emu-wrens, and the giant Gippsland earthworm!
The Coral Gardeners have planted over 1,200 coral fragments on behalf of the Lyka pack, in French Polynesia. This helps retain reef biodiversity and density, as well as providing food, income and protection to half a billion people: in the coastline communities that rely on these ecosystems.
By being a part of the Lyka community, you’re also supporting the regeneration of native plants and bird life. We source a broad selection of ingredients that aren’t often used in mainstream products, which also boosts biodiversity.
Reducing water consumption
Water is essential to all living organisms. We act across our supply chain to reduce water usage and pollution, which means avoiding factory-farmed proteins — and embracing wild-harvested spirulina and kelp as less water-intensive options.
We use environmentally friendly cleaning materials that won’t cause long-term water contamination, and reuse stormwater for toilets, cleaning, and gardening across our facilities.
Waste reduction
We strive for zero waste and conservation of resources through responsible production, consumption, reuse and recovery of products, packaging and materials. Our warehouse has natural lighting to reduce wasted energy, and our team uses biodegradable tape, gloves and bin liners.
Our waste reduction efforts even extend to our suppliers as we collaborate on new strategies. We minimise and reuse wherever possible across our head office and kitchen facilities, and buy second-hand equipment, such as laptops, to give them a second life and reduce emissions in making new equipment.
We also recycle all metals, hard plastics and soft plastics in each of our facilities.
Lyka: where we care about your pupper’s pawprint
Our commitment to reducing our impact on the planet is ongoing and we will continue to embrace and explore new methods so we can constantly improve. We want our puppers to have great food that doesn’t impact our environment, and to do our bit to make our world a cleaner and healthier place for you and your pups.
