Eco-Friendly Cat Litters: 7 Best Picks for Your Cat & Planet

Eco friendly cat litter offers a convenient way to keep your cat’s waste under control with a smaller footprint. These litters, made from natural materials such as wood, corn, or recycled paper, are biodegradable and don’t contain harmful chemicals.

Not only are they better for the planet, they’re more gentle on your cat’s paws and superior at controlling odors too! This article covers best eco-friendly cat litter options to help you decide what’s right for your household and furry friend.

1. Pine Pellet Litter

Pine pellet litter is one of those great, simple, effective solutions that do-it-yourselfers know so well. Produced from sustainable compressed wood pellets, it’s a great green choice that’s easy on your wallet. It’s a win-win for cat owners and the Earth! I’ve been using wood pellets for more than five years now for our two cats, and it’s been miraculous. One of the best cat litter options available, it offers both affordability and efficiency.

One of the best things going for it, though, is the price—it’s tough to beat at around $5 for a 40-pound bag. During those years, I trusted the Original Feline Pine formula. Once I made the switch to wood pellets, I came to find out they’re just as dependable. The Feline Pine formula has a very high approval rating—almost 90% of users recommend it. This is a testament to the effectiveness of using natural cat litter alternatives.

Well, in truth, because it’s high rate—the highest—this is clearly a very effective policy! Vets have told me that pine pellets are the best at controlling odor and keeping the dust to a minimum. This eco-friendly quality is important for anyone who has indoor cats. While silica-based litters are great at controlling odor and dust, pine pellets offer a more natural approach to cat waste management.

Pine pellets work incredibly well too, particularly because they’re all-natural. The nice pine odor might take a bit to get used to, but it’s not too abrasive. So much so that it more than covers up all those other lingering smells. The biggest benefit of pine pellets is that they don’t stick to your cat’s paws like other clay-based litters, making them a fantastic choice for those looking for friendly cat litter products.

In turn, you’ll notice significantly less tracking around your home! It’s not completely preventable, of course, but it’s a huge step forward. One that’s especially important if you’re sick of picking up litter trails. What I am particularly impressed with this kind of litter is the cleanliness as well as the overall happiness of my cats when using it.

I’ve tested pretty much every brand on the market, but a wood pellet litter just seemed like the right decision across the board. They’re soft enough for your cat’s paws, ensuring comfort is maximized. They’re strong enough to hold together longer in the litter box, so you’ll have to refill it less often.

Looking for an economical and environmentally conscious option? Pine pellet litter might just be the answer to ensure a long and satisfying relationship with you—and your cats—for years to come!

2. Corn-Based Litter

Corn-based cat litter offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional clay litters. Best of all, it’s an easy way for you to pamper your pooch while doing something great for the environment. This natural litter is made from compressed corn kernels.

It is compostable and breaks down naturally, which is better for the planet. Brands such as World’s Best have taken the lead by making plant-based ingredients a core part of their formulas. This improves odor control and helps keep your environment fresh without resorting to irritating chemicals.

It’s a good choice if your cat has respiratory sensitivities—corn-based litter is naturally dust-free. Unlike many other litters, it creates less dust, which is not only gentler on their lungs but makes your cleanup process that much easier.

One major advantage to using a corn-based litter is its high-quality clumping ability. It creates tight clumps fast, so you can remove waste within minutes and be done in no time, with much less effort. You don’t have to dump the whole box every time, like you do with clay litter—that means you can make each bag last longer.

While its up-front cost is more than clay, its effectiveness is a smart investment. This creates a material that lasts up to 35% longer per pound than other natural alternatives. That’s pretty good value for a green product.

Texture can even be a game-changer for finicky felines. Sustainably Yours provides a soft, sand-like feel that’s just right if your kitty wants something finer on their paws. LitterMaid even has a clay, nut and dust-free corn cob variety that’s available.

This provides you with the ability to cater to your cat’s individual sensitivities. Corn-based litter isn’t without its kinks. Since it is organic, there is the potential for it to become a pest like rodents or insects if it’s stored improperly.

As long as you ensure that you do keep the bag sealed tightly and stored in a dry place, you should never have this problem. Corn-based litter provides outstanding clumping ability, along with the advantage of being biodegradable.

It’s soft on sensitive paws, so it can be a great option for pet owners with sensitive kitties. It’s one easy change toward making you and your indoor tiger a little more eco-friendly.

3. Recycled Paper Litter

Recycled paper litter is an environmentally-friendly alternative that’s convenient and cost-effective. Made from post-consumer recycled paper, this litter typically comes in two forms: pellets and finer granules, often called paper crumble litter.

The pelleted version, which we tested, was notable particularly for its absorbent properties. It absorbs liquid three times better than standard clay litter. Because of this, you’ll see it lasting longer and requiring less modification.

It’s 100% dust-free, providing a more pleasant and healthier environment to live with cleaner air in your home. This is crucial if you or your kitty are affected by airborne dust particles. While testing, we saw heavy tracking of light all throughout the litter box zone. To corral any runaway bits, have a scrap mat on hand.

Perhaps one of the greatest things about recycled paper litter is its ability to control odors. The pellets clump immediately upon contact with liquid and they utilize non-toxic enzymes to fight odor-causing bacteria.

This translates to a cleaner, fresher-smelling litter box without the use of synthetic fragrances. It works great, even if you’re a cat person with 5 cats at home, so this is a great option for a multi-cat household.

If you’re thinking about making the switch to recycled paper litter, a gradual transition is the best approach. As any cat parent knows, cats are intolerant of abrupt changes.

Start by using 25% of the new litter and 75% of the litter you’re using now. Once your cat is settled, switch to half-and-half and then full-novelty litter at last. Taking your time throughout this process will help ensure that the transition is as easy and comfortable as possible for both you and your pet!

4. Coconut Husk Litter

As a result, coconut husk litter is a great choice to try if you’re looking for a greener improvement on your cat’s litter box setup. Huskaloo is made from coconut husk, a sustainable cat litter that appeals to eco-friendly pet owners. This renewable material makes coconut husk litter an attractive alternative to traditional cat litter options.

What’s most notable about it, though, is its distinctive dehydrated, compressed brick shape. It only takes a minute to create a better future! By using it, you’ll easily create a soft, natural, beautiful bed of litter that’s easy on your cat’s paws while supporting a cleaner environment.

For one cat, Huskaloo offers weeks of easy-to-clean, super absorbent litter that keeps all the gunkiness in check. It is designed to suppress odor effectively, which is a great added bonus when you’re cohabitating your home with a furry companion. This natural clumping litter ensures that cat waste is contained efficiently.

Even going across the landing is a huge difference—we no longer tread on gritty, pointy wood pellets. Let’s not forget that the recyclable box and sleeves make it an even more eco-friendly choice. They offer step-by-step instructions to make the switch from your old litter easy for you and your cat to follow, making it one of the best cat litter options available.

On a personal level, it’s made a world of difference. Ruby, our cat, has been even more pleasantly happy to use it ever since we made the switch. Before switching to eco-friendly litter, I was having to change the litter every day, sometimes even every other day.

Before, I could only go four or five days max before changing! That’s not only convenient—it’s a tremendous reduction in hassle. Unlike traditional options, this compressed brick takes up less space and is easier to store, making it a great cat litter choice for any household.

In the end, you’ll be making a decision that’s better for the planet. Additionally, 80% of the litter is made of coconut husk—which guarantees superior performance without sacrificing quality, making it one of the best cat litter products on the market.

5. Wheat-Based Litter

Now, here’s why wheat-based cat litter is a clever, sustainable alternative for your cats. Perhaps the star of this category is sWheat Scoop Multi-Cat Natural Litter, which is made mostly from wheat that’s sustainably harvested from U.S. Farms. With this natural ingredient, you can feel good about your choice to promote a more sustainable world.

Its biodegradable, non-toxic formula lets you decrease your environmental impact without compromising performance or safety. This makes this litter an excellent choice for homes with many cats. It goes beyond the limit and still achieves high-quality performance.

The real icing on the cake that might sway you on wheat-based litter is its ease of use. SWheat Scoop forms firm clumps for fast, easy scooping, so you spend less time on cat clean-up. It’s 99% dust-free too, which contributes to a healthier air quality inside your home.

This is an important plus if you or anyone in your household is prone to allergies. Its long-lasting formula ensures that this litter continues to combat odors for up to seven weeks with daily scooping. That’s all you need to do, other than keeping the enclosed full box topped up!

That’s way less aggravation on your part, while still making it a lot more pleasant for your felines. One other logistic wonderfulness is they offer a number of different bag sizes. Have you just started using it for the first time?

Or perhaps, you’re just preparing for your high-traffic, multi-cat household. Select from 9.9, 13.2 or 19.8 lb bags that work best for you! Flexibility like this gives you a lot more leeway to do your shopping and stock up.

Being able to confirm that it’s made from a renewable resource gives your purchase a warm, fuzzy feeling.

6. Grass Seed Litter

Welcome to the woeful world of grass seed litter. If you’re in search of an environmentally sustainable choice, this grass seed litter checks all of those boxes. It’s 100% grass fiber based and 100% biodegradable, making it an excellent alternative to traditional cat litter. That’s because it won’t sit in a landfill for hundreds of years, as clay-based litters do.

The grass that is harvested to create it is grown on a yearly basis, providing a constant and renewable resource while protecting our natural resources. This change towards using sustainable litter would make a huge difference for the climate and the environment.

The most impressive quality about it is its ultra low dust factor. It scores a wonderful 9 out of 10! This litter is perfect for cats with allergies and for people who want to steer clear of those dusty clouds that some litters produce.

Scoop your litter daily to maintain a clean, healthy home. You’ll need to completely change it out about once a week—which is the case for most cat litter products. With just a bit of additional care, you can preserve the cleanliness of your home and the satisfaction of your feline friend.

Then they have texture, which I think is one of the main virtues. Cats appear to acclimate to the change well, and because of its lightweight nature, it makes litter easier to manage during routine cleanups.

On the flip side, it definitely tracks a bit more than other options, which is annoying at times. Put a quality litter mat in front of the litter box to trap any litter that spills out. This will keep them from rolling all over your dining room floors.

…a greatly underappreciated, astoundingly simple fix that has a profound impact.” It’s that simple a change.

Cost-wise, grass seed litter can be relatively expensive compared to standard clay litters. The 3 million or so of you who use it think that new cost is worth it.

Beyond eco-friendly benefits, they love the peace of mind that using a sustainable product provides. It’s one of those eco-friendly swaps where you’re really doing good by both your furry friend and the Earth.

7. Walnut Shell Litter

Then there’s walnut shell litter, the clear frontrunner that takes the crown for performance and sustainability. Naturally Fresh, produced from walnut shells, is an incredible producer of natural cat litter that excels in natural ammonia odor control. This isn’t just a marginal gain; the non-clumping pellet version provides up to 7 times the odor control versus other top non-clumping pellet litters.

Especially when you’re trying to stay as natural as possible and avoid artificial fragrances—that’s a big deal. Unlike clay-based litters, which cover up odors with added scents, walnut shell litter naturally neutralizes odor without the addition of perfumes or fillers. It’s a low-tech, no-tech, biodegradable cat litter solution that really gets the job done.

Making the switch to Naturally Fresh litter can be a victory for less waste in your home and on our planet. One bag of this unique litter completely replaces three bags of clay litter in your home, which frees up space and reduces packaging waste, too. Just one litter user recently posted to Facebook their success at cutting their clay litter use from 600 pounds to just over 200.

After they switched over to Naturally Fresh, the improvement was astounding! In addition to being a significant reduction in waste, it’s lighter, easier to handle, and store. Not only does the walnut shell formula have an aesthetic formula, it breaks down naturally in the environment. Unlike traditional clay litter, it won’t sit in a landfill for decades.

It’s safe for your cat, your home, and the planet. If you need an option that’s renewable and non-toxic, this is a great choice. Formulated using all-natural, plant-based ingredients, it’s specifically designed with ultra-fine particles to help sculpt and define a low-maintenance, high-performance clump.

That’s a huge win for pet parents who appreciate the convenience of friendly cat litter products but are looking to move away from clay. If that weren’t awesome enough, our walnut exclusive walnut blend is easy on your plumbing. Then you can safely throw it away with no concerns!

Naturally Fresh is one of those sustainable alternatives that makes you feel good about not having to give anything up. Along with great odor control, less waste and a product that’s in line with your sustainable values. That’s what it’s all about—providing you with a cleaner home and a cleaner conscience.

8. Clay-Free Litter

Clay-free litter is a total lifesaver if you want an environmentally sound, convenient choice for your kitties. Made from natural starches and free of harmful chemicals, this natural cat litter features a pellet-shaped design that quickly clumps with liquids for fast and easy clean-up. Its formula with enzymes destroys all odor-causing bacteria, ensuring your home smells fresh and clean without the need for potentially harmful artificial fragrances.

The litter is 99% dust-free, which is excellent news if you or your furry friends have allergy concerns. This makes it ideal for multi-cat homes! If you’ve got a multi-pet household, you’ll never need to stress about switching products or dealing with litter tracking.

What really jumps out to me though is how long it lasts. One 8-lb. bag of this litter replaces up to 40 lb of conventional clumping clay litter. It only lasts two months for one cat! That’s fewer trips to the store and less lifting of heavy bags, making it one of the best cat litter options out there.

For folks trying to cut down on waste, this litter is made from post-consumer recycled materials, making it a more sustainable choice. The pellets have been promoted for their high absorbency and soft, pleasant texture. They’re engineered to hold their structure, so they don’t become mush when exposed to moisture, unlike traditional clay litter.

The main ingredient in sWheat Scoop Multi-Cat Natural Litter is grown on U.S.-based farms. We hope you’re as excited to support this product as we are! It usually only takes most cats a day or two to get used to the feel of the new litter, though.

While it doesn’t eliminate all solid waste like clay litter, the transition presents a huge opportunity for both environmental and economic benefits. Read on to learn how you can use about five times less litter than clay options. This is both a budget-friendly option and it makes your litter box waste more sustainable!

If you’re a person who simply wants a more convenient, environmentally friendly option, this litter does it all. In return, you receive a product that is more sustainable, longer lasting, and highly effective at odor control, making it one of the top friendly cat litter products available today.

9. Bamboo Litter

Therefore, bamboo litter emerges as one of the best cat litter green alternatives for your furry friend. This litter is composed exclusively of sustainable bamboo, making it a fantastic choice among natural cat litters. It’s 100% biodegradable and compostable, giving you an environmentally smart option for keeping your cat’s waste out of landfills. Each pellet is thoughtfully crafted to deliver optimal convenience and cleanliness with minimal environmental footprint. If you want an eco-friendly litter that still keeps your home clean, this one could be just the ticket.

One kind of thing you’ll notice from the beginning when you pour it out there is this very slight aroma of a horse barn. Before that scares you off, just take heart that it’s very clean, and it vanishes after roughly 24 hours. It’s subtle and frankly not an odor that sticks around long enough to be a deal-breaker.

The larger victory on this front? This litter is 99% dust free so you don’t have to worry about that either. That translates to no dust clouds being kicked up each time your feline takes the plunge. That’s a total game-changer if you’ve experienced the dust and mess of other traditional cat litter.

The other thing that’s important to note is that bamboo litter does not cling to the pan. If you’ve ever tried to scrape out clumps that seem glued to the bottom, you’ll appreciate how much easier clean-up becomes. Additionally, since one bag lasts a cat a full month, it’s quite cost effective.

Speaking of costs, as of this writing, this choice was about 20% less expensive than having it shipped directly from Amazon. That’s a great added value for a product that’s already checking the right boxes for performance and sustainability.

The consensus opinion is that bamboo litter fails to stack up against grass seed-based alternatives. Their reviews are usually based on anecdotal experience, or personal bias/quirk related to the brand their cat prefers. There’s probably a bit of witchcraft in it, too, like the moon phase—who knows?

Surprisingly, it stands tall against competitors on performance and environmental benefits, making it a strong contender among friendly cat litter alternatives.

10. Alfalfa-Based Litter

Among these alternatives, alfalfa-based litter is a clear natural cat litter choice that’s convenient and safe for your home and cats. As the name suggests, it’s made completely from alfalfa, an ultra-renewable, plant-based material that is both biodegradable and non-toxic. This further makes it one of the best cat litter options available if you’re trying to minimize your eco-footprint while maintaining feline happiness.

It’s even more enticing for homes with several cats because it just tackles shared space better and without sacrificing girth. Perhaps one of the greatest benefits to this particular litter is its exceptional real-world performance on use. Most importantly, though, it produces no dust! This development in cat litter is a total win for those who suffer from allergies or sensitivities, including your felines.

It’s totally free of any harsh chemicals and dyes. This makes it ideal for cats that are sensitive to or have negative reactions to conventional litters. Even after extended testing, the only tracking I ever noticed was limited to the surrounding litter box area. I found it manageable with frequent sweeping.

Cleaning is super easy on the whole due to its low odor and low mess. Most cat owners who’ve used it, myself included, are big fans. It’s safe and easy to use, creating a cleaner home environment for you and your pets. That said, there is often a short adjustment period for many cats.

Alfalfa-based litter doesn’t composite cover solid waste the way traditional litter can. This new texture can cause some cats to take a few days to get used to it. For most feline friends, however, this is not a dealbreaker and they make the adjustment in no time. Once they get over that hurdle it’s a lock.

The litter is very popular with cat owners. They gush about it in effusive testimonials, reporting fantastic outcomes and perfect happiness.

Conclusion

Selecting sustainable cat litter protects the planet and makes your home a healthier place for the animals you love. Whatever kind of litter you choose, they all have their advantages. For instance, pine pellets have superior absorbency and grass seed litter is very gentle on paws. Products made from recycled paper or from walnut shells provide you with eco-friendly options that don’t force you to sacrifice on performance. You’ll enjoy odor control, easy cleanup and the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re reducing waste.

Spend a little time to pair the litter with your cat’s needs and your lifestyle. Whether you’re looking for a dust-free option, an eco-friendly, biodegradable or compostable one, there’s an ideal match waiting for you. Switch to the eco-friendly alternative and experience just how much greener it makes your home, and the planet. What’s more, your cat and the earth will thank you!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most eco-friendly cat litter?

The best eco-friendly cat litters, such as natural cat litters made from pine pellet or corn-based materials, are biodegradable alternatives that decompose naturally, reducing waste and environmental impact.

Is clay litter bad for the environment?

Clay cat litter is bad for the planet due to its production, which involves strip mining that destroys ecosystems. This non-biodegradable litter contributes significantly to landfill waste.

Can plant-based cat litters control odor effectively?

Yes, most plant-based litters, including natural cat litter options like pine pellet litter and walnut shell litter, naturally absorb odors, effectively keeping ammonia odors at bay without extra chemicals.

Are biodegradable litters safe for my cat?

Fortunately, most biodegradable litters, such as wheat-based or grass seed litter, are non-toxic to kitties. These friendly cat litter products are safe and gentle options. Look for Safer Choice certification labels or consult your veterinarian about the best cat litter for your pets.

How do I dispose of eco-friendly cat litter?

If your eco-friendly litter, such as natural cat litter or biodegradable cat litter, meets the criteria listed above, dispose of it by composting it (if it’s waste free), or bagging and tossing it in the trash.

Is bamboo litter dust-free?

Really, pretty much all bamboo litter is low dust, which is perfect for cats and owners with respiratory issues. Its lightweight texture and natural clumping properties make it one of the best cat litter options, preventing dust from getting airborne.

Can I use eco-friendly litter for multi-cat households?

The answer to this is yes, most eco-friendly litters, including sustainable cat litters like corn-based and recycled paper litter, are medium to large-sized cat approved. They provide superior natural odor control and clumping performance to manage the increased traffic.