Earth Rated takes customer feedback very seriously. If you’ve been paying attention to their iconic green poop bags, dispensers, and other eco-friendly pet products over the past ten years, you may have noticed an evolution in design. As Marketing Director Tara Garland says, listening to customers has made Earth Rated products better over time.
“We’ve always had this strong belief in making sure every experience is really positive and ensuring our customers are heard,” says Garland.
Every piece of feedback, both negative and positive, is taken back to the in-house product development team for thoughtful consideration. Customer comments often turn into design changes on products, such as the sticker on the refill rolls, which peels off easily and has a perforated line down the middle. Engineering the enhanced ease of use came from many pet owners commenting on how the sticker would sometimes rip the top of the bag.
“If people are feeling enough of a way about that experience to come back and say something, then it’s our responsibility to respond to that,” Garland says.
The Earth Rated Leash Dispenser 2.0
The latest feedback innovation at Earth Rated is in the new leash dispenser, which took two and a half years to test and develop. This dispenser addresses many of the pain points customers reported with the previous version. With a tough silicone strap and hands-free hook, the Earth Rated Leash Dispenser 2.0 is more durable, intuitive, and makes for an even more enjoyable dog-walking experience.
“This is our big launch and it’s one of our more iconic products so it’s a very special launch and very much close to our hearts,” says Garland. The new dispenser just hit shelves this spring and is available at participating Bone & Biscuit locations.
The History of Earth Rated
Back when Earth Rated got started eleven years ago, before 2.0 launches and volumes of customer dialogue, there was simply the drive to create a lighter, more affordable poop bag.
“This was at a time when plastic bags in stores were starting to become less of a solution, and they can be very bulky,” Garland says.
The five partners who founded Earth Rated came together with different skill sets to design, manufacture, test, and distribute a better product. The bar was set high to create something exceptional: the company started under the name World’s Best Poop Bags.
And that’s what Earth Rated did. Although the name has since changed, the company’s product standards have continued to motivate redesign and innovation, including within the realm of environmental responsibility. Garland says that “it has always been important that there be an eco aspect in terms of thinking about packaging and materials,” at Earth Rated. Beyond the inherent stewardship for the planet that we can all maintain by picking up after our pets, Earth Rated makes it even easier with compostable poop bags, cruelty-free product testing, packaging made from recyclable materials, and ethical manufacturing.
Earth Rated Gives Back
Along with customer service, giving back has always been an important value to the Earth Rated team. Garland, along with many other staff members, came to Earth Rated with a background in animal shelters and rescues. Supporting vulnerable animals is in the DNA of the company’s culture.
“We have a lot of adopted dogs on our team, and so it’s something that is always really close to our hearts and something that we’ve been able to manage from a product side and an engagement side,” says Garland.
Outside of product donations to shelters and rescues and in-store events, Earth Rated manages stand-alone charitable initiatives, including their annual Blanket Campaign. To date, over 11,000 blankets have been donated to shelters in need.
Why blankets? Garland says from the team’s experience, laundry in shelters is challenging to keep up with, and a lot of the blankets provided are made of heavy materials, creating additional load on an already maxed-out system for maintaining a clean and comfortable environment for the animals.
“We’ve designed a special fleece blanket that’s really lightweight, so it’s light to dry and energy-efficient, as well as large enough that any size of animal could fit on it,” Garland says.
If you want to learn more about Earth Rated’s shelter work and have a say in their support in your community, Garland recommends following Earth Rated on social media and signing up for their newsletter.
“It’s important to us that our customers are engaged in the process. We try to create that opportunity for them to nominate shelters and suggest different rescues and speak to their adoption stories, and that helps us because it comes full circle – we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without our customers and a lot of our customers are very supportive of shelters and rescues,” says Garland.
Earth Rated continues to show up as the pet supply company for the people, by the people. For Garland, the success of Earth Rated speaks to the ability we all have to dream big, even when the initial idea may seem small in concept.
“Everybody has it in them to have an impact. It’s a matter of how you approach things. If you’re passionate about what you do, the sky’s the limit.”
Earth Rated Poop Bags & More
Check out the Bone & Biscuit online store and search for the location near you to order Earth Rated poop bags and other supplies. Do your part for the environment with your furry best friend!
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