Rùn raises the bar on eco dog food in plastic-free July
Rùn (pronounced Roon) means ‘with purpose’ in Gaelic, and this new, forward-thinking eco brand has certainly lived up to its name with the launch of a high-quality, complete dog food. One of the first cold pressed dry dog foods made in the UK, this premium brand is available to stock in 7.5Kg and 15Kg as well as a 25 kg eco-friendly bag exclusive to trade customers. Offering a big point of difference for potential stockists who would like to embrace the zero-waste trend where customers can fill their own containers, this sales method meets a growing consumer trend. Rùn is also grain-free with single protein and fat sources and uses some of the greenest packaging available: paper.

Credit: Lunar Photography
Lucy Millar, Rùn’s founder developed the brand with a focus on quality but also to tackle the environmental cost of pet food packaging. With nine million dogs kept as pets in the UK*, plastic pet food packaging is a huge problem. Across the UK dog population, that could equate to over 12 million plastic pet food bags heading to land-fill. However, Rùn’s packaging is more than a little different!
Lucy says: “Our packaging is made of 100% paper – recyclable, compostable and biodegradable, even in the 25 kg retailer sacks. We went on quite a journey looking for the greenest available option that achieved the environmental standards we were aiming to reach. Our evaluation showed the technology just isn’t there yet on bioplastic or compostable packaging, with bioplastics still very difficult to dispose of responsibly, and the vast majority of compostable packaging requiring temperatures that are only found at industrial composting facilities. Paper, on the other hand, ticked all the boxes.”
Rùn’s environmentally-friendly ethos includes a focus on the nutritional value of its diet. It is well-recognised that supporting the best possible pet health is an important part of the jigsaw when it comes to sustainable living. Lucy Millar founder at Rùn Dog Food explains: ‘We are one of the first brands to offer cold pressed dog food made locally in the UK to reduce food miles. There would be little point in using a gentle cooking method to preserve the nutrients, if we didn’t put as much thought into the ingredients too, so Rùn is grain-free and uses only single source proteins and fats. This is a great dry food alternative to feeding raw.”
A clear fit for zero-waste shops, Rùn is also a super accessible product for independent pet stores looking to develop their eco category. In fact, this green product is made and supplied fresh in small batches and Rùn Dog Food has no plans to hit the grocery chains. Lucy says she strongly believes that Rùn should support and develop relationships with like-minded independent businesses. The company can also provide advice about implementing a zero-waste set up in-store.
As might be expected with the attention to detail behind the brand, the product recipe has been developed in consultation with a leading canine nutritionist, using only natural ingredients and meat is the number one ingredient. The current variety is Chicken and Sweet potato and a fish variety will launch in the coming weeks.
Lucy continues, “Customers can rest assured that they are feeding an innovative, carefully balanced diet to their pet, without the nagging guilt of adding to plastic pollution with their packaging. We even have trees planted for every sale, to help off-set the need to use paper.”
Rùn Dog Food is available in 7.5kg (RRP £38.70) and 15kg bags (RRP £63), as well as a 25kg sack offering attractive margins for zero-waste or pet retailers. Further information is available at www.rundogfood.com or contact info@rundogfood.com.
*2019 data from Pet Food Manufacturer’s Association https://www.pfma.org.uk/statistics