What happens to our pets’ toys when playtime is over?
We think a lot about what our pets play with.
We think about the texture they enjoy, the way they chase, chew, pull, bat and explore. We think about whether a toy is right for their size and play style.
But there is another question we don't always ask:
What happens to that toy when playtime is over?
South Africa has a significant waste challenge. According to the State of Waste Report 2018, the country generated approximately 55 million tonnes of waste in 2017, with much of it disposed of at landfill sites. More recent government reporting, drawing on the 2023 General Household Survey, indicates that only around 10% of the country's waste was recycled.
Plastic forms a significant part of that picture. Research published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology estimated that South Africa generated approximately 1.76 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2021, with about 713,300 tonnes going to landfill and a further estimated 562,894 tonnes not recovered through the assessed waste-management pathways.
We don't have a reliable national statistic telling us exactly how many pet toys make up those numbers. But we do know that pet products are part of the consumer landscape — and many conventional pet toys are made using synthetic fibres, plastics, foams and other materials.
So perhaps it is worth asking a different question when we choose something for our pets: What is it made from, and what happens to that material when its useful life is over?
THE MATERIAL MATTERS
Not every synthetic material is inherently unsafe, and not every natural material is automatically better.
But the material a product is made from matters.
When a product reaches the end of its useful life, its material doesn't simply disappear. Its environmental impact can continue through the way it is disposed of, recovered, recycled or left in the environment.
South Africa's National Waste Management Strategy 2020 places waste prevention at the highest level of its waste-management approach. It specifically highlights the importance of considering waste at the design stage of products and packaging, rather than only dealing with waste once a product has already been discarded.
That idea resonates with us.
Because perhaps we should think about the end of a product's life before we buy it, not only after we're finished with it.
NATURAL DOESN'T MEAN IMPACT-FREE
We believe in natural materials, but we don't believe in pretending that a natural product has no environmental footprint.
Every material has one.
Growing or harvesting it requires resources. Processing takes energy. Products have to be manufactured and transported. Packaging has an impact too.
So we don't think sustainability should be reduced to a label that says natural, eco or green.
For us, it is about making more considered choices.
What is the material?
Where does it come from?
How is it processed?
Does it need unnecessary synthetic components?
How is the product designed to be used?
And what happens when it is no longer usable?
These are the questions we believe are worth asking.
WHY WE CHOOSE NATURAL MATERIALS
At Coco’s Empawrium, our collection begins with materials that have their own natural character.
COFFEE WOOD
Our coffee wood chews are made from natural coffee wood sourced from retired, non-productive coffee trees.
Instead of creating a synthetic chew specifically for the purpose, we use the natural density, grain and character of the wood to create a product designed around a dog's natural desire to chew.
The result is not perfectly uniform — and that's part of the point.
Every piece has its own grain, shape and character.
COCONUT COIR
Our coconut coir toys use natural coconut coir, a natural fibre derived from coconut husk.
Coir has a naturally coarse, tactile texture that lends itself beautifully to interactive play, chewing, tugging and shredding.
It also means that our coir toys aren't designed to remain pristine forever.
They change through use.
Fibres loosen. Ends fray. Textures evolve.
And we think it is better to be transparent about that than to pretend otherwise.
HEMP
As our collection develops, we're also exploring other natural fibres, including hemp.
But we believe in looking beyond the word natural and understanding where a material comes from and how it has been processed.
Natural is a starting point, not the end of the conversation.
WE DON'T BELIEVE EVERY TOY HAS TO LAST FOREVER
This might sound like an unusual thing for a pet brand to say.
But we think it is important.
Some products are designed for durability and repeated use over a long period.
Others are designed around the way an animal naturally interacts with them.
A coconut coir toy may be pulled, batted, chewed and shredded. A natural coffee wood chew will gradually wear as a dog uses it.
That doesn't mean the product has failed.
The changing material is part of the experience.
What matters is that pet owners understand how a product is intended to be used, supervise appropriately and replace it when it reaches the end of its safe and useful life.
For us, thoughtful design means considering not only how a product begins its life, but how it behaves throughout its useful life and where it ends up when it's useful life comes to an end.
A MORE THOUGHTFUL WAY TO CHOOSE A PET TOY
You don't have to completely change the way you shop for your pets.
But next time you're choosing a toy, consider asking a few simple questions.
01 — WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?
Look beyond the product name.
Check the actual materials used, including ropes, stuffing, coatings, bindings and other components.
02 — DOES IT NEED ALL THOSE MATERIALS?
Some products contain multiple synthetic components because they are convenient or inexpensive to manufacture.
Ask whether each material serves a genuine purpose.
03 — IS IT RIGHT FOR YOUR PET?
Natural doesn't automatically mean suitable.
Consider your pet's size, age, chewing style and how they are likely to interact with the product.
04 — HOW WILL IT WEAR?
Some toys are designed to remain intact through repeated play.
Others are designed to change through chewing, pulling, shredding or interaction.
Understanding that difference helps you choose appropriately — and recognise when a product needs replacing.
05 — WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT IS FINISHED?
This is the question we think deserves more attention.
When a toy can no longer be safely used, where does it go?
And what is it made from when it gets there?
WHY THIS MATTERS IN SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa's waste strategy is moving towards a more circular approach — one that aims to reduce the amount of waste generated and keep materials in use rather than following a traditional take → make → dispose model.
The National Waste Management Strategy 2020 specifically promotes waste prevention, reuse, recycling and recovery, while encouraging product and packaging design that can reduce waste and support reuse, repair and recycling.
This is a much bigger challenge than pet toys.
But we believe that doesn't mean pet products should be excluded from the conversation.
Every product we buy is a choice about materials, manufacturing and consumption.
And while one toy won't change a country's waste system, the choices we make repeatedly can shape the kind of products we support.
NATURAL DOESN'T HAVE TO MEAN PERFECT
We don't believe in claiming that choosing a natural pet toy solves the environmental problem.
It doesn't.
Nor do we believe that every synthetic product is inherently bad.
The reality is more complicated than that.
What we do believe is that we can be more thoughtful about what we choose.
We can ask where materials come from.
We can question unnecessary components.
We can design with the animal's natural behaviour in mind.
We can be honest about how products wear.
And we can think about what happens when something reaches the end of its useful life.
For us, that is a more meaningful approach to sustainability than simply putting a green label on a product.
A LITTLE MORE THOUGHTFUL. FROM THE BEGINNING.
Coco’s Empawrium was created around a simple belief:
Quality begins with kindness — for every creature and the planet we share.
That means thinking carefully about the products we create and the materials we choose to make them from.
It means choosing natural materials where they make sense.
It means designing around the behaviours animals naturally love.
It means being transparent about wear, replacement and responsible use.
And it means recognising that sustainability isn't about perfection.
It's about making better-informed choices, one product at a time.
Because caring for our pets should also mean thinking about the world they share with us.
Natural materials.
Thoughtful design.
Meaningful enrichment.
Sources & further reading: Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, State of Waste Report 2018 and National Waste Management Strategy 2020; Statistics South Africa, General Household Survey 2023; Olatayo et al., Pathways to zero plastic waste landfill: Progress toward plastic circularity in South Africa, Journal of Industrial Ecology (2024).
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