How does your cat litter affect the environment?

There are approximately 3.8 million pet cats in Australia. While not all cat owners provide an indoor litter box for their cat, a large percentage do, and that’s a lot of litter boxes. And a lot of cat litter. A single cat can use up to 200kg of litter a year. Have you ever stopped to think about the impact that much cat litter has on our environment?

There are many different cat litters on the market. To better understand how they affect our planet, let’s define the two basic types: organic (made from plants) and inorganic (made from minerals taken from the ground). The type of litter directly affects its environmental impact, so read on to find out how green your cat litter is.

Where does it come from?

Inorganic Cat Litters

Inorganic cat litter is mineral-based and comes from the earth. This includes clay, crystal (or silica gel) and other types such as diatomaceous earth. Besides the fact that these minerals are non-renewable, the process of removing the raw materials from the ground has a significant environmental impact. Strip mining leaves behind gaping holes and barren landscapes and entire ecosystems are eradicated. Besides the obvious destruction of plant life and habitats on land, rain washes the disturbed topsoil into waterways, damaging them and killing plants, fish and other aquatic creatures.

Organic Cat Litters

Organic cat litter is plant-based, and there are an ever-increasing number of options available. Crop-based cat litters such as tofu (soy bean) turn the by-products of commercial food production into pellets. While there is still some environmental impact, as crops must be planted, maintained and harvested, the crops are primarily grown for food. Turning the by-products into something usable is a very thrifty use of resources! There is even better news about a relatively new type of cat litter made from bamboo. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth, with some varieties growing almost a metre a day. It is hardy and requires very little maintenance or water, and consumes more carbon dioxide than trees of equivalent mass.

Scoreboard: Organic Litter One, Inorganic Litter Nil

When it comes to “Where does it come from?”, organic cat litter scores a definite win over mineral-based litters. Read on to find out where the different types of litter end up and how it affects the environment.

Where does used litter go?

Most of us urban and city dwellers have little choice on how to dispose of used cat litter. Dumping it out the back may work for someone with acreage, but you can’t very well dig up your manicured gardens on a regular basis, and apartment dwellers don’t even have gardens. Besides being generally gross and smelly, cat waste can contain parasites and bacteria harmful to humans and animals, which will contaminate gardens or compost bins. This leaves us with one option – the rubbish bin. And this means a large portion of used cat litter ends up in the landfill.

Organic cat litter like bamboo and tofu are biodegradable and will quickly break down in landfills, but clay, crystal and other mineral-based litters don’t break down. They remain in their current state almost indefinitely.

So when considering both the origins and the final resting place of used cat litter, plant-based litters are the clear winner. The best news is that you don’t need to compromise on quality when choosing an ecologically responsible cat litter.

Kitty Fresh offers Bamboo and Tofu litters, both of which offer superior odour control. Our 6.5L bags of clumping litter will last most cats an entire month. With our monthly subscription plan, and disposable (recyclable!) litter box, keeping your kitty happy and your home smelling fresh has never been easier – or better for the planet!