Beco Pets Rough & Tough recycled dog toys

What they’re made of

Rough & Tough toys are made from recycled PET (rPET): used plastic bottles turned into polyester fibre. Beco says each toy uses up to 15 recycled bottles. Recycled content is 60 to 80% depending on the toy; Beco’s own FAQ gives this range rather than a flat 80%, and the Kangaroo, for example, is 74%. Both the outer fabric and the stuffing are recycled polyester. Some toys also have rope made from recycled cotton, and crinkly paper inside alongside the squeaker.

Beco is a UK company, founded in 2009 by George Bramble and now sold in more than 40 countries. Its sustainability claims are checked by three separate organisations, which is unusual for pet toys.

Green credentials: B Corp, Climate Neutral and 1% for the Planet

This is where the Rough & Tough range really stands out. Most “eco-friendly” pet toys have no independent check behind the claim; the label is just marketing. Beco holds all three of these:

Certified B Corporation (August 2022): B Lab gave Beco a score of 101.6. The median for ordinary businesses that complete the assessment is 50.9. The assessment covers how the company is run, its environmental management, how it treats workers, its community impact and how it treats customers.

Climate Neutral Certified (April 2021): Beco measures its greenhouse gas emissions from production through to delivery, buys verified carbon credits to offset them, and has committed to halving its direct (Scope 1 and 2) emissions from 2022 levels by 2030.

1% for the Planet: Beco gives 1% of all sales (not profits, sales) to environmental charities. Separately, the Beco Foundation gives 5% of company profits to animal welfare charities around the world.

If you want green claims you can verify, this is the strongest set we’ve found for a soft dog toy brand.

How tough are they?

Rough & Tough toys have three upgrades over ordinary soft toys: (1) a double layer of outer fabric, (2) double-stitched seams with an extra layer of fabric where seams meet, and (3) an extra-large, puncture-resistant squeaker that keeps working after small holes.

These upgrades genuinely make them last longer than a $5 pet-shop soft toy. But it’s important to be realistic. Owner reviews on Amazon, EarthHero and Australian retailers show a consistent pattern:

Moderate chewers (Golden Retrievers, Cavoodles): typically 2 to 8 weeks of daily use. The legs and other parts that stick out usually go first, because the seams where they join are weaker than the flat panels.

Heavy chewers (Staffies, Rottweilers, German Shepherds): several reports of a toy destroyed in a single unsupervised session, including one Amazon reviewer whose dog pulled a leg off within minutes. That isn’t a defect; it’s simply the limit of a fabric toy against strong jaws.

Gentle dogs (Whippets, Greyhounds, Cavaliers): months of use when the toy is mostly for fetch and cuddling rather than chewing.

Beco is upfront about this: its FAQ recommends its natural rubber toys for dogs that shred soft toys. We appreciate brands that set honest expectations.

The squeaker

Beco calls the extra-large squeaker “puncture-proof”. In practice, small tooth holes in the outer fabric don’t stop it squeaking, so the toy stays interesting for longer even once it’s a bit worn. That matters, because many soft toys stop squeaking at the first hole, and dogs often lose interest straight away.

Best uses, and when to supervise

These toys are ideal for indoor fetch on floorboards, tiles or carpet, where a hard rubber ball (like the West Paw Jive) could scratch floors or make a lot of noise. A soft toy won’t mark timber, chip tiles or dent walls.

The recycled polyester also floats, so some models are good for supervised fetch in the pool, a dam or at the beach. That’s unusual for a soft toy.

Always supervise: any soft toy can cause a gut blockage if your dog tears it open and swallows the stuffing. Put the toy away after play, out of reach. This really matters for your dog’s safety.

Cleaning

Rough & Tough toys are not dishwasher safe, unlike West Paw’s Zogoflex toys. Beco recommends spot cleaning or gentle hand washing; machine washing weakens the stitching and shortens the toy’s life. If your dog plays with them outside in the mud, or drools a lot, they’re harder to keep clean than rubber toys.

How they compare

Ordinary pet-shop soft toys ($5-$15): Usually made from new polyester, with a single layer of fabric and basic stitching. They typically last 1 to 7 days with a moderate chewer. Rough & Tough toys cost two to three times as much but last roughly three to eight times longer, and they have independently checked green credentials. Good value.

Spunky Pup Clean Earth ($15-$25): The closest competitor: also recycled PET, also squeaks, also floats. But Spunky Pup doesn’t have B Corp, Climate Neutral or 1% for the Planet certification, so Beco’s credentials are much stronger. Durability seems similar, based on owner reviews.

West Paw Zogoflex Toppl and Jive (about $24-$62): A different kind of toy (tough rubber-like plastic rather than fabric), so not a direct comparison, but useful if you’re putting together a set of sustainable toys. Zogoflex covers treat puzzles and tough outdoor fetch; Beco Rough & Tough covers soft indoor fetch and comfort. They work well together rather than competing.

Do they save money? An example

For a moderate chewer playing indoors for 30 minutes a day:

Cheap soft toys: $10 per toy, replaced weekly = $520 a year, plus 3 to 4 kg of new polyester in landfill.

Beco Rough & Tough: $24 per toy, replaced every 4 to 6 weeks = $208 to $312 a year. Made from 60 to 80% recycled material by a company that offsets its emissions. That’s 40 to 60% less spending, with far less new plastic used.

Your results will depend on your dog. Rough & Tough toys don’t eliminate soft toy waste, but they cut it substantially.

When they’re worn out

Be aware that most Australian councils can’t recycle mixed recycled-polyester fabric through kerbside collection, so worn-out toys will usually go to landfill. Each toy has still kept up to 15 plastic bottles out of the waste stream when it was made, so most of the environmental benefit comes at the start of its life rather than the end.

These toys suit gentle to moderate chewers such as the Cavoodle and Golden Retriever. Strong chewers such as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier are better off with a tough rubber toy.