By
Brenley Goertzen,
a writer at the Strategist covering clothing basics and bath and body.
She joined the Strategist as a junior writer in 2022 after interning at the site.
Cutting down on microplastics in our home started in the kitchen, where we threw out the black-plastic utensils and colorful plastic cutting boards, and continued into our closets (good-bye polyester, hello all-cotton). Then it occurred to me that our dogs, Ringo and Georgie, might benefit from some de-plasticization, too. They’re both under 3 years old and love digging through their toy bin, which until recently included plenty of plastic squeakers and bright stuffies made with synthetic materials. After some research, I found that there are actually tons of plastic-free toys on the market that don’t sacrifice durability and still keep my dogs occupied for hours. Below, I’ve pulled together a list of natural alternative toys that keep my dogs so entertained they’ve stopped stealing our socks, and a few that provide enough mental enrichment that Ringo and Georgie actually need a two-hour power nap after playing with them. From bones made entirely of organic sheep’s wool to cellulose-based antlers, these nonplastic picks should keep any dog busy.
