This resource was fully reviewed and updated by a member of The Open Sanctuary Project as of June 2026. It was originally published on April 29, 2019.

If you are reading this resource, you are likely a compassionate individual who wants to create a better world. Operating a sustainable sanctuary for farmed animals certainly makes a big difference in the lives of those animals and can go a long way toward creating a more caring world for all of us! Of course, like many things we do, operating a sanctuary generates waste and requires many resources, like a reliable power supply and water. The good news is there are a number of things you can do to create a more environmentally-friendly sanctuary!

Use Recycled Paper Products

Running a sanctuary often requires the use of a copious amount of paper towels, toilet paper, office paper, business cards, and educational materials. Try to purchase products that are made from recycled paper or sustainable sources. Printing on recycled paper rather than virgin paper lessens resource utilization and the environmental impacts related to forestry, landfilling waste paper, and the production of paper from virgin pulp.

Beyond the purchase of more sustainable products, reusing and recycling paper at your organization reduces the amount of waste in landfills and reduces the production of methane from waste decomposition. Need to print something? Use the front and back! Keep a stack of paper that has been printed on one side at the ready near your printer. Cut up one-sided pages for use as note taking material. Some things don’t require writing it down on paper to effectively communicate to staff. Whiteboards are one way to avoid using paper products. Use them to write daily, weekly, or monthly staff schedules, enrichment notes, resident location, and resident health notes for the day. Of course, this doesn’t replace the need for notes to be included in a resident’s permanent record!

Salvage Building Materials

While this may not always be possible, if you have the luxury of time, salvaging building materials can have a positive impact on the environment and on your budget. In some cases, reclaimed lumber is better than new lumber available from a lumberyard. It has been air dried over many years, making it much more stable. Salvaging old barn wood ensures it doesn’t end up in a landfill and reduces the demand for new lumber. You can also find sinks, hardware, doors, fencing, and many other supplies that could be of use at a sanctuary.

Request Donations Of Old Tools, Equipment, And Supplies

You may be surprised how many supporters may have an old power tool, extra shovel, or even an old pickup truck they may be willing to donate. If you have such a need, try sending out a request for donations on social media and through email lists, as well as on your website.

If you are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the United States, these in-kind donations can be tax deductible, making the request for donations more attractive to potential givers.

Increase Energy Efficiency

Most likely, some of your sanctuary needs will require power. Here are several ways you can increase energy efficiency at your sanctuary:

• Replace light bulbs with more efficient bulbs, such as LEDs (while keeping fire safety in mind!).
• Install timers or motion sensors in security lighting systems and in low-traffic areas.
• Purchase appliances that are ENERGY STAR certified.
• Turn computer monitors off when not in use, or set all computers to enter power saving mode after a short period of time.
• Insulate and tint windows to retain heat during the winter and keep heat out during the summer.
• Unplug electrical devices when they are not in use, or use power saving auto-off plugs.

Reduce Waste Production And Improve Waste Management

While it may be difficult to entirely eliminate waste, there are a number of ways you can greatly reduce the amount of waste at a sanctuary. In addition to being mindful of waste brought on-site in the first place, you can develop ways to manage unavoidable waste that are more environmentally-friendly:

• Learn about waste disposal and recycling programs in your community, especially hard-to-recycle items like plastic bags and films, electronics, and hazardous materials.
• Get staff involved in a sanctuary recycling program.
• Ensure all staff know how to properly dispose of all waste.
• Use recycled office products where possible, including paper products, glass, and aluminum.
• Install recycling, trash, and compost bins (as allowed by local law), and create clear signage about what goes into what bin.
• Request that your suppliers minimize packaging materials.
• Start composting!

Improve Water Efficiency

As you may know, residents can consume quite a lot of water every day. Cleaning also requires a lot of water. Consider the following tips to improve water efficiency at your sanctuary:

• Install a quick shut-off valve on watering hoses so you don’t have to walk back to turn off the water, potentially wasting gallons in the process.
• Use a water-saving high-pressure nozzle or wand for cleaning, which can save significant amounts of water.
• Landscape with drought-resistant, resident-safe non-toxic plants.
• Install low-flow water fixtures for faucets as well as low-flow or dual flush toilets where practical.
• Provide reusable water bottles for staff and set up a drinking station instead of relying on bottled water.
• Harvest rainwater for cleaning (be sure to check whether rainwater collection is legal in your region).

Convert To Solar Or Wind Power

Converting to a renewable energy source promotes sustainable living practices to visitors and nearby communities, and helps to reduce the costs of running and maintaining your facilities in the long term. Solar panels can be mounted in pastures to provide shade for residents or installed on existing buildings. Wind energy can also be installed. You may even be able to find federal, state, or county grants to help you cover the cost of installing solar or wind energy at your sanctuary.

Reuse And Upcycle Food Bags

How many food bags do you go through in a month at your sanctuary? How about in a year? It really adds up. You may already reuse them as trash bags which is great. Check out some ways to reuse and upcycle food bags taken from this list of “50 Ways To Upcycle Your Feed Sacks“.

• Sort and store resident blankets, harnesses, and other appropriate resident-specific materials.  Label with the resident’s name, and contents.
• Use empty sacks to collect recyclables such as one use beverage containters, bailing twine for another, and even one filled with….more food sacks!
• Sometimes a rain shower comes through and a muddy mush develops in front of a gate or door you need to get to and through. You can cover the spot, making a bridge to get through without getting too muddy.
• Improvise an enrichment item. Stuff feed sacks into a ball or pack with hay and cut holes, pull hay, carrots, and other produce partially through, and hang securely and safely, ensuring no one would be caught up in the materials.
• Have a volunteer that is crafty? They can cut out and sew holiday stockings for your residents or use this as a workshop for community members.
• Lay food sacks down as makeshift floor mats or seat covers for sanctuary vehicles.
• Grow a mini-garden. Cut a sack to desired height and fill with potting soil and grow vegetables, herbs, or native plants for residents or pollinators. Place them by building doorways so staff can “stop and smell the roses” or at least see them as they go about their busy day.
• If you grow plants or if you have any staff, volunteers, or community members who do, you can use sacks to protect plants from frost and snow. Just just off the top of each bag to adjust for height.
• Use bags as weed barriers in gardens. Lay them out where you want them and place something heavy enough to prevent them from flying away.
• Make a summer caregiver beverage bin. Cut a feed sack to size, add bags of ice, and place beverages on top to keep them cool. Place the bin in caregiver work areas!

Utilize Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

When practical, use animal-safe, eco-friendly cleaning products for resident living spaces, windows, surfaces, floors, and laundry. A number of cleaning products can contain chemicals that will pollute water and stay in the environment for some time. Fumes can cause serious respiratory distress, especially for those with certain health issues and bird and rabbit residents. Always ensure any cleaning product used in resident areas is appropriate for the species in your care and used according to manufacturer instructions.

Seek Out Produce Donations

Contact your local grocer and ask about their unsellable produce. Some grocers will donate produce that can no longer be sold to humans. Also, don’t forget to check and see if there are any cut fruit gift basket stores in your area (like Edible Arrangements). They often have fruit scraps that may be considered garbage to them but a tasty treat for some lucky residents. Some sanctuaries are able to schedule produce pick-ups with these businesses. This saves the food from rotting in a landfill while providing residents with appropriate treats and nutrients.

Repurpose and Reuse Materials For Enrichment

Enrichment is an important aspect of resident care. While there are enrichment items and activities that may require new materials, there are many more that can be repurposed and/or reused. Simply look around the sanctuary! See any fallen branches, stumps, leaf litter, or brush? Then you have found yourself some free and easy enrichment possibilities! You can also put a call out to your community and see what they have lying around. Often they are excited to get rid of that old log taking up space in their yard. Another way your community can assist is by taking a look around their house. Make an enrichment call for old soccer balls or basketballs, mirrors, spices, stuffed animals, and even old baby toys. You can also request old tools and leftover building materials that can be used for building enrichment!  Ask a volunteer to look through Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor, and Buy Nothing groups. This can keep things out of the landfill and build a connection with your support base. The list goes on.

The fall is another great time of year to get produce, when folks are getting rid of pumpkins. Some sanctuaries set up a pumpkin drop-off day, when the public can bring in their leftover pumpkins.  Some pumpkin farms have also been known to donate good pumpkins after Halloween.

Staff must inspect the pumpkins, and if they are still in good shape and not rotting, they can be fed to certain residents. In addition to avoiding mold, it’s important to avoid feeding any pumpkins or scraps that have ink on them from Jack-O-Lantern carving projects! Conducted mindfully, a pumpkin program can be a fun enrichment opportunity and a chance to build relationships with the community without promoting harm. Remember, not all produce is right for every resident. Check what produce you can safely give to residents like chickens, goats, and sheep!

Encourage Carpooling

Many sanctuaries are in locations where public transport isn’t a realistic possibility and need to drive, sometimes a significant distance to get to the sanctuary. Encourage staff and volunteers who live near each other or pass by other staff homes to carpool if convenient for them. You can facilitate this by creating a ride-share spreadsheet for volunteers and staff, where they can sign up and find a carpool companion if they would like to participate.

Create A Pollinator-Friendly Landscape

Put in a pollinator garden. Choose plants that provide habitats and food for pollinators, such as native bees, who could use our support. Do you have a large lawn or field space or areas that are difficult to mow? Replant that area with native flowers and plants. Host a community garden day where community members bring a native plant or seeds and prep a garden space. This is also a great opportunity to provide workshops or educational activities for people of all ages. This can also be done in living areas. Block off part of an outdoor living space while resident-safe plants grow then give residents access after the blooms wilt to munch and explore. Avoid the use of pesticides and chemicals!

Find native plants in your state here!

One Step At A Time

It’s okay to start small. Even implementing one of these suggestions can make a difference. Put in recycling bins or purchase more efficient light bulbs. Make a plan to put more of these eco-friendly suggestions into practice over time. And tell your community about your commitment to help the planet while you help your residents!

Infographic

Looking to share this information in an accessible way with other sanctuaries and supporters? Check out and share our infographic below!

Tips for eco-friendly by Amber D Barnes
SOURCES:

Eco-Friendly Animal Shelters | One Green Planet

Greening Animal Shelters | The Bark

How To Harvest Rainwater In Your Garden | Happy DIY Home

Growing Landscapes To Help Bees And Other Pollinators | University Of Minnesota Extension

Options For Integrating Eco-Friendly Features Into Veterinary Practices | American Veterinary Medical Association