Sustainability is becoming a real factor in how pet and horse owners choose grooming products. Here is how EquiGroomer’s eco-friendly grooming tools are built to avoid contributing to plastic pollution and microplastics.

Sustainable Materials: Wood and Metal

Since its first grooming tool, EquiGroomer has used high-quality, sustainable wood for its handles instead of plastic. This reduces reliance on non-renewable resources and supports healthier forest ecosystems, while also keeping each tool lightweight, durable, and easy to handle.

The blades are recyclable metal, which avoids the microplastic shedding that happens when plastic fibers break down during use. When a blade eventually wears out, it can be recycled instead of sitting in a landfill.

“We’re a small company, and in our own way, we’re doing what we can to protect our planet,” says Cheryl Dauphin, Founder and Former Owner of EquiGroomer.

5" EquiGroomer tools standing upright in teal, green, red, pink, purple, orange, and blue

Why This Matters: Microplastics 101

Most grooming tools on the market have plastic parts, and even with recycling efforts, a huge share of that plastic still ends up as waste. According to National Geographic, only about 9 percent of all plastic ever made has been recycled, and 79 percent has ended up in landfills or as litter in the environment.

Plastic does not disappear once it is discarded. Depending on the type, it can take anywhere from 20 to several hundred years to break down, and even then it does not vanish completely. Instead, it breaks into smaller and smaller fragments called microplastics, defined as any plastic particle under 5 millimeters, roughly the width of a pencil eraser. Many are far smaller than that and invisible to the naked eye. These particles can absorb other toxins and stay in the environment, including soil, water, and air, for years.

Large turtle moving over discarded plastic on a beach

Where Microplastics Turn Up

A few things researchers have confirmed about how far microplastics have already spread:

  • Millions of tons of plastic enter oceans and other ecosystems every year.
  • Aquatic life ingests microplastics readily, and they move up the food chain from there.
  • Washing synthetic clothing releases microplastic fibers into wastewater with every load.
  • Microplastics have turned up in samples from Mount Everest’s summit and from the deepest points of the ocean.
  • Microplastic particles have even been found in human placentas from healthy pregnancies.

Researchers are still studying what long-term exposure means for human and animal health, including possible links to allergies and other health effects. What is already clear is that microplastics are now essentially everywhere, including places once considered untouched.

Looking Ahead: A Greener Future

No single choice solves plastic pollution, but a few things help:

  • Reducing overall plastic consumption
  • Managing waste responsibly
  • Choosing natural fibers and materials where possible
  • Avoiding products that contain microbeads
  • Supporting policy aimed at reducing plastic waste
  • Staying informed and sharing what you learn

Every one of these adds up. Our own contribution is keeping plastic out of our tools rather than trying to offset it later.

Grooming Tools That Skip the Plastic

We build our EquiGroomer line around sustainable wood and recyclable metal. It is a small piece of the larger plastic pollution problem, but it is one we control directly, and we would rather get it right than add to the pile.