Ten per cent of the rubber in this ball came out of balloon production as waste, which is a small thing on its own and a sensible one at scale — the material is already rubber, already the right grade, and would otherwise have been thrown away. The rest is natural rubber, and the finished ball is tough enough to hand to a dog who gets through ordinary balls in an afternoon.

It is hollow enough to stuff, so treats can be pushed inside to turn a chew into a puzzle, and the whole thing carries a natural vanilla scent that most dogs find immediately interesting — useful with a dog who ignores anything new on principle. The material is antibacterial and non-toxic, and it meets European Toy Safety Standard EN 71, which is the standard applied to children's toys and a far more meaningful line than most claims made about dog balls.

• 100% natural rubber, including 10% recycled balloon rubber
• 7cm diameter, suitable for a range of dog sizes
• Stuffable with treats for added mental stimulation
• Natural vanilla scent
• Antibacterial and non-toxic
• Meets European Toy Safety Standard EN 71
• Three colourways: yellow and orange, red and white, black and white

On near-indestructible. No ball survives every dog. This one holds up far better than a tennis ball, but a determined power chewer will eventually work through natural rubber, so check it over after hard sessions and replace it once it splits. Nothing here should be left with an unsupervised dedicated chewer.

Who it's for: Strong chewers — labradors, staffies, collies, jack russells — and owners who want a ball that doubles as a treat puzzle rather than a second toy.