Is cat litter toxic? What is the proper way to dispose of it?

Excellent question, and I would feel even more that way if my cat lived indoors. Alas, the world is his litterbox, but I’m sure he picks up after himself. Right, Kitten?

To begin with, Kevin Miller, materials diversion administrator for the city of Napa, said cat litter is typically made of clay, but can also be composed of products such as waste paper. It is not toxic.

Yet cat litter is a problem for Napa’s composting facility for two primary reasons.

First, he said that meat-eating cats are a potential source of E. coli, which is something a composting facility wouldn’t want to handle.

Second, Miller said that the Napa facility is an OMRI-certified (Organic Materials Review Institute) producer of organic compost, with one criterion barring synthetic products for composting. Since Napa Recycling and Waste Services cannot be sure that cat litter coming in to the facility can be broken down naturally, the facility cannot accept it without risking its OMRI certification.

As far as disposal, Miller laments that residents are still instructed to throw cat litter away in the regular trash and not in the yard waste bin for composting for the reasons stated above.

Tim Dewey-Mattia, public education manager of NRWS, forwarded a list from the Environmental Working Group of environmentally unfriendly litters and environmentally friendly litters.

The former includes clay litter, clumping litter, pine and cedar shavings, scented litter, sand, flushable litters, self-cleaning litter boxes and silica gel litters.

The latter includes recycled newspaper, sifting boxes, unscented litter, and litter made from combinations of wheat, corn, ground corn cobs, alfalfa pellets, wood stove fuel and/or sawdust pellets.

Just do not flush cat litter down the toilet. According to this document, cat waste carries parasites. When flushed into waterways can hurt wildlife and humans.

Oh, poop.

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