Here’s a great way to show your love for your dog, and the earth. Give your used clothes, towels, and pillows a new life as a dog bed, and thereby cut down on ones that end up in landfills.
In Chennai, there are brands that do this for you. “Your dog’s favourite scent is you,” says Srividya Sriram, founder of Good Boy Cal (@goodboycalco on Instagram) that makes sustainable beds for pets. “It’s the best gift you can give your pet. When he or she rolls on a customised bed that carries your scent, it helps reduce anxiety, especially when you are away for long hours,” she explains.
Srividya makes a themed set of bed covers: an outer cover with upholstery material, and aninner waterproof cover that is easy to wash. “I started with geometric designs and now we have botanical patterns like foliage or floral ones.”
Dog owners choose the theme and size (small to medium for indie dogs or large to extra large for big dogs like Labradors) when placing the order. “You can gather old blankets or clothes and do the stuffing. As it lends an uneven finish, the dogs can jump and mould the bed to their size. You can keep changing the stuffing and the bed can last many years,” she adds.
Dominique Lopez and Priyanjoli Basu, co-founders of Chennai-based Oh Scrap Madras (@ohscrapmadras) have come up with a prototype of pet beds with upcycled material.
Upcycled beds for pets from Oh Scrap
“We have diverted more than 400 kilograms of fabric from entering landfills between August last year and July this year: we upcycle discarded fabrics from garment units and tailoring units in Chennai and convert them to coasters, cutlery holders, preventive face masks and hair accessories,” says Dominique.
She adds, “We were left with mounds of fabric scraps too small to be repurposed.” This led them to make DIY fabric beds for pets, that will be available in a month. There will be floor cushions too, she says
