Earth friendly? Get the scoop on biodegradable cat litter

By Meridith Byrd for the Victoria Advocate
June 16, 2010

A trip down the pet aisle might leave you wondering: what is the difference between all the types and brands of cat litter?

Seeing "environmentally friendly" on a container of cat litter might leave you with the question, "Why wouldn't cat litter be good for the environment?" The answer lies in the way litters are manufactured.

Most brand-name cat litters are comprised of a type of clay called sodium bentonite. ... The clay is extracted from the earth by a process known as strip mining ... [which] is extremely destructive to the environment and can impact the water resources of the surrounding area. Many conventional litters can also produce a dust because of the silica contained in the bentonite; breathing in the silica dust can cause respiratory problems in cats.

An alternative is to buy an environmentally-friendly cat litter, often made of pine wood pellets, recycled newspaper, corn kernels, wheat or even sawdust. Unlike clay, these materials are renewable and will break down in a landfill. Read more