ST. LOUIS — On July 12, Nestlé Purina PetCare debuted its new program — Pet Power — seeking to raise awareness on renewable energy among pet parents. Through Pet Power, pet parents and their pets will play a role in creating renewable energy to advance sustainability.

Pet Power features a walkway that produces renewable energy with each step from people and their pets. Purina partnered with Pavegen, a developer of smart flooring technology, to create the walkway. Each step will produce about 3 joules of electricity, collecting the power into batteries that Purina will then donate to the APA Adoption Center, 

“At Purina, we’ve always looked to pets for inspiration to drive our actions, and now, inspired by their boundless energy, they’re helping us demonstrate the power of renewable electricity,” said Tiffany Gildehaus, senior manager, environmental sustainability at Purina. “The Pet Power activation is a small symbol of the importance of renewable electricity to Purina’s sustainability strategy.”

Pet Power aligns with Purina’s ongoing efforts toward advancing sustainability, targeting the company’s energy usage. According to Purina, currently about 95% of its electricity comes from investments in solar and wind power, which is used to create a variety of pet food products. Purina expects to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2025 for use across its factory network and corporate offices. 

The new program also aligns with Nestlé’s overall sustainability efforts with Purina contributing toward the company’s global target of net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. 

Pet Power walkway will be showcased at various pet-friendly venues throughout Purina’s global headquarters in St. Louis. The walkway will first appear at Bar K from July 13 to 31, with future stops planned at Purina Farms and events. 

“At Pavegen, our goal is to use technology to inspire,” said Laurence Kemball-Cook, founder and chief executive officer of Pavegen. “We are thrilled that Purina is using our kinetic technology to bring pets and people together to create renewable electricity in such an innovative way.”

Read more about sustainability efforts across the pet food and treat industry.