Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 09:00 pm
As a cat owner, a whole lot of cat litter accumulates over time. It goes without saying that cat litter can be disposed of in the trash.
However, in this article we answer the question whether you can compost cat litter? And if so, which cat litter is suitable for composting.
As long as cat litter is made of plant materials, such as corn, wood or plant fibers, and does not contain any additives or fragrances, it can be composted without any problems. However, mineral cat litter, especially Betonite, should not be composted as it forms large, sticky lumps on the compost.
Can cat litter be thrown in the compost?
Cat litter can be thrown in the compost as long as it is a 100% compostable material with no fragrances or disinfectants. Compostable cat litter can be made of wood, corn or plant fiber.
When composting cat litter, the following should generally be considered:
Spread cat litter evenly on the compost
Always mix cat litter with other dry and semi-moist materials
Do not compost too much cat litter at one time
Remove feces from cat litter in the residual waste before composting it
However, cat litter that is not made of compostable material should not be composted! This is mainly cat litter made of betonite, but can also be cat litter made of compostable materials but with fragrances.
Care should be taken when choosing compostable cat litter. This is because cat litter is often described as a “pure natural product”, “natural” or “fully biodegradable”.
However, these characteristics also apply to cat litter made from betonite, which is not compostable.
When looking for compostable cat litter, therefore, always look for the explicit reference “compostable” or pay attention to the ingredients.
Which cat litter is compostable?
After extensive research, we have discovered the following 7 types of cat litter that are explicitly and 100% compostable (to get to the product, just click on the image*):
Cat’s Best* is probably the best known, compostable cat litter and consists of 100% active wood fibers
➜ Cat’s Best you can get here at Amazon*.
Lifelong* is an Amazon private label brand and offers this compostable cat litter that is made of 100% corn litter or pellets
➜ Go to the Lifelong cat litter here*.
From the brand Cosycat* there is this cat litter, which consists of wood litter and is therefore also 100% compostable
➜ You can get the cat litter from Cosycat here*.
This is the only, compostable cat litter from the Catsan brand* and is made from 100% plant fibers
➜ You can get Catsan Natural here*.
Another fully compostable cat litter is available from the Siria brand* and is made from corn spindle granules
➜ To the cat litter from Siria go here*.
Is Betonite cat litter compostable?
Although Betonite cat litter is a purely natural material, Betonite cat litter is not compostable because it clumps very strongly and thus forms heavy, greasy lumps on the compost.
Unlike wood or corn, Betonite is mineral litter material and consists of various clay minerals.
Betonite is sometimes indicated on cat litter as natural clay or natural clay.
Since it is clay, Betonit has an extreme water absorption and swelling capacity, which is on the one hand naturally advantageous to absorb urine or feces.
However, on the compost the Betonit cat litter absorbs a lot of water, swells and becomes large, sticky and greasy lumps that have no place on the compost.
Therefore, Betonit cat litter should always be disposed of in the residual waste and never in the compost.
Is cat litter from dm compostable?
Of the seven types of cat litter available from dm’s own brand “Dein Bestes”, only one type, the “eco-clumping litter”, is compostable.
All packs of cat litter (including the one that is compostable) from “Dein Bestes” carry the following notice:
Warning: Disposal with household waste.
However, the “eco-clumping litter” is cat litter made from 100% plant fibers, which can be disposed of in the compost despite the notice.