With annual sales in the tens of billions of dollars, the pet product industry is massive and growing steadily. The value of the market—and the sheer number of Americans who have pets—mean significant opportunities for profitable growth.
But if there’s a key to making a mark in the pet products industry, it’s offering safe pet products made in the United States.
Pet owners are devoting more time, energy, and resources than ever to their furry friends, creating surges in demand. At the same time, widespread concerns exist among consumers regarding the quality and safety of the products currently on the market. With tales of poorly made products making pets sick, many shoppers are putting in the extra effort to locate pet-safe options. Brands should take note of this trend for two reasons: It shows the way toward success and reveals the risks. A brand that doesn’t think about safety risks reputational damage or even litigation if its products cause harm.
Domestic plastic injection molding manufacturers can provide a trusted solution to established businesses and startups alike that want to bring new pet products to market. For care in material selection and cost-effectiveness in pet product manufacturing, a proven manufacturer of injection molded pet products is your best asset.
The Advantages of Plastic Injection Molding for Pet Products
Why opt for injection molding when you want to produce pet products? With assistance from plastics manufacturing leaders such as Reliant Plastics, perks you enjoy include:
- Creating products that are more durable and longer lasting
- Achieving rapid production that scales quickly to meet demand
- Accessing more versatile materials to create unique products and shapes
- Using the same molds to produce products in different colors
- Tapping into market demands for products using materials proven to be safe for PET injection molded products
There are some potential hazards to keep in mind, however. Material selection for PET molding projects is just as critical as for products intended for human use. Avoiding the risk of chemical leaching and the potential health effects that might result requires careful material selection and traceability built into the injection molding process. At Reliant Plastics, safety is always our top priority for our clients and your customers. Through our experience and domestic capabilities, we understand how to guide projects toward the end goal of producing safe, reliable items.
Understanding Plastic Manufacturing and Pet Product Safety
In most cases, pet product manufacturing is going to mean plastic manufacturing. Though there are plush, metal, and even wooden pet products, most objects on the market use plastic. If you want to enter the pet product manufacturing niche, one of the critical things to understand is that not all types of plastics are created equal.
Some safety concerns surrounding certain items have come to light, because pet product manufacturers chose to use another type of plastic that wasn’t as safe as it could have been. For instance, certain plastic pet products have been recalled, because they were made with bisphenol A (BPA).
Though BPA has been used in many plastic products since the 1960s, BPA has been shown to leach harmful chemicals that can contaminate water or food in contact with the plastic. Studies suggest BPA can have unpredictable impacts on hormonal functions, reproduction, and cell growth. As a result, there are questions about how safe it is to use BPA in any products—whether they are intended for humans or animals. Today, the “BPA-free” label is so widespread that most consumers have developed an understanding that they should avoid BPA in any form. It is a mistake to assume that the buying public does not research plastics.
The good news is that pet product designers can choose safer materials. The bad news is that not all injection molding manufacturers offer these options (or make it clear they offer these options). Therein lies the benefit of working with a U.S.-based pet product manufacturer to make your designs a reality. Of course, prices at overseas factories may be lower, but you might not get as many options for materials or compounds.
Types of Plastics
At Reliant Plastics, safety is always a top concern when performing PET injection molding projects for our clients. That concern drives us to stay on the cutting edge of the material sciences while building solid connections with raw material suppliers worldwide. The result is a domestic solution where you can access popular and safe materials with fewer delays.
What materials can we use to produce products for the pet market? Some types of pet-safe plastics to know include the following:
- Polypropylene (PP)
- High-density polyethylene (HDPE)
Remember, some plastics can leach chemicals and thus are unsuitable for pets. We can help you design around issues to avoid using:
- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
- Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
- Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)
Using Domestic Suppliers for Made-in-the-USA Quality
Working with a domestic supplier such as Reliant Plastics yields several essential advantages. The “Made in the USA” stamp on your products is a hallmark of quality and reliability. That alone can attract buyers to your products if you make your domestic sourcing a part of your story.
Selecting materials that are certified as “food safe” or “body safe” is much simpler when you work with a team that fully understands federal standards and requirements. You do not need to wait on costly and time-consuming transoceanic freight shipping. With access to pet product manufacturers in the USA, you can make it simpler than ever to satisfy the demands of your target pet-owning market. Our proven record of success demonstrates our commitment to the quality and safety of the products we create.
There are other advantages to a domestic team such as ours. Localized supply chain management ensures you can build a more stable approach to sourcing items and stocking inventory. Ease of access to support for your questions and concerns is important, too—no need to worry about calculating global time zone differences when you can pick up the phone and call a team right here in the USA.
Why Choose Reliant Plastics?
Reliant Worldwide Plastics is the stateside injection molding manufacturer your business needs to break into the world of safe pet products. We set high standards for plastics manufacturing, and then exceed them for all our clients. With worldwide connections and stable cutting-edge equipment, we deliver superior value and exceptional quality across the board. Faster quoting procedures put essential facts in your hands, while our lower-minimum order quantities make it easier to test-run products and explore different design considerations.
Some of the added benefits of working with Reliant Plastics for pet products include:
- Access to plastic materials of proven quality, including hard-to-find options for niche requirements
- Rapid production capabilities with shorter turnaround times, reducing time to market
- Competitive pricing for lean operations
- A broad range of part-making capabilities, plus assembly solutions and more
In the blossoming pet product industry, partnering with a supplier that cares about quality and safety as much as you and your customers do is imperative. Find out how we can work together to make your “pet project” a success. Request a quote today.
