Here are some helpful links about how to reduce the environmental impact of cat litter:
Hello Cat-Caring Customers,
Cats: they're cute, maybe cuddly, their companionship comforts us - and we still have to figure out what to do with their waste.
Most cat owners in the U.S. use clay cat litter, which is strip mined like coal, and has similar environmental impacts, like destroying surface habitat and polluting waterways. The weight of clay also leads to increased fuel usage in transporting it from mines, mostly in Wyoming, to factories to homes to landfills.
The recommended amount of clay to keep a litter box clean is 30-40 lbs per month. For Pedal People, cat litter is one of the the most difficult things that we haul (and heavy for you to carry too). The weight sometimes causes customers to exceed their trash weight limit, leading to extra charges from us, or it causes them to be in a higher pricing category. When throwing away cat litter, please use appropriate strength bags so the weight does not cause the bag to rip open when we lift it.
Many cat owners use non-clay based litter, from plants, which is lighter, more sustainably sourced, and healthier for cats. Generally the plant-based litters are biodegradable. This means you can put just the poop in the trash, and use the remainder for a home compost pile or mulch around bushes. Or, with some careful home composting and a good system, you can compost all of the litter, poop included. At the very least, if you throw away all of it, it will still be less energy-intensive than clay litter.
(Pedal People does not accept any kind of cat litter in our compost collection program.)
Commercially available biodegradable cat litter tends to be fragrance-free, and can be made from pine, cedar, nutshells, corn, wheat, reclaimed cellulose, recycled newspapers, grass, etc. Some cat owners recommend pine bedding pellets, sawmill dust, torn strips of paper, or grain-based poultry feed (layer crumble), especially if you will be composting it at home.
If you want to transition your cat/s from clay, gradually mix in a little of the new litter with the clay they've been using. This might take a week or two. Start with a small bag of the new litter, in case your cat rejects it.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.
Pedal People
P.S. Here are some examples of specific kinds of plant-based litter: Cedarific (from wood) (recommended by Pedal Person Ben W), FelinePine, or generic pine pellet bedding (from wood), The World’s Best Cat Litter (from corn), SWheatScoop, *WonderWheat (from wheat), CareFresh (from reclaimed cellulose), Yesterday’s News (from recycled newspapers)