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Buying organic. Shopping locally. Driving less. All are great ways to express your individual commitments to our living Earth.

But what about Fido, Spot and Clyde? Are there ways to help “green” our pets’ impact on the planet? That’s an affirmative “woof!” The Nature Conservancy offers some suggestions to assist in greener pet ownership.

To begin with, buy pet products that are made from recycled materials and look for toys and accessories made of non-toxic ingredients and sustainable fibers like hemp. Not only are hemp collars hypoallergenic, but they actually get softer with wear. And when it comes to bedding, consider the fill: look for ingredients like organic cotton and recycled PET bottles.

Secondly, keep a careful watch on cats that go outdoors. Not only does this protect them from a world of fast cars and wildlife, but it will help protect native songbirds, too. Spaying and neutering your pets can limit feral cat and dog populations that plague urban areas and fill our nation’s pet shelters.

Another way to help the Earth is by carefully choosing your pet’s food. Consider natural and organic foods that contain meat that has been sustainably raised and is free of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and preservatives. And for the do-it-yourself types, the Internet offers plenty of recipes for organic, homemade pet food.

A fourth suggestion relates to “number two.” For cats, avoid clay litters. Not only are these materials strip-mined, but clumping clay litter contains carcinogenic silica that pets may accidentally ingest. Remember to take a biodegradable poop bag with you on your walks. That will keep the dog’s landfill contribution from living on for hundreds of years.

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Finally, when looking for an animal companion, stop at the local shelter first and consider adopting a “recycled” pet. Give a home to one of the tens of thousands of unwanted animals that are abandoned every year.

For more green living tips or information on the Conservancy’s work in Texas, visit nature.org/texas.