Before you toss those empty cat food cans, packets, trays and bags, check your local recycling guidelines or how2recycle.info to see if they can be recycled. Look on the label of the container for the How2Recycle symbol and follow the guidelines. It just takes minutes but can make a big impact in reducing landfill waste. Learn more about recycling your cat litter packaging with this how-to guide.
Make Sustainable Choices for Your Cat
Topics:
When you have a cat in your family, you want to do your best to keep them healthy, clean and feeling loved — just as you would a child. Making sustainable choices for your cat’s food, litter, toys, and supplies is a great way to help protect your cat, your family, and the planet.
Here are 7 ways make better choices for your pet, without spending a lot of green:
1. Recycle Cat Food & Supplies Packaging
2.Purchase Cat Food & Kitty Litter in Recyclable Packaging
When shopping for pet food and other supplies, look for recyclable packaging such as aluminum cans and paper boxes. Some cat litter containers cannot be recycled, either because the paper bag is coated with wax or the tub is made of mixed plastics. ARM & HAMMER™ cat litters come in cardboard packaging that is easily recyclable in nearly every community – often conveniently curbside.
3.Dispose of Your Used Cat Litter Properly
With approximately 100 million cats in the United States, that’s a lot of litter and waste. Knowing how to dispose of kitty litter is important when you’re trying to go green with your cat. There are three don’ts and a do when it comes to responsibly disposing used cat litter:
Don’t:
- Don’t flush cat litter or cat feces that you’ve scooped from the box. It can overwhelm your septic system and municipal water treatment plants are not designed to deal with the potential pathogens in pet feces, such as toxoplasma.
- Don’t dump your litter outside. Those same potential pathogens in pet feces can contaminate the soil or expose other animals to the germs.
- Don’t compost your cat litter for use in an edible garden. Any compost containing pet waste should not be used on plants that you plan to eat.
Do:
- Be sure to put used litter in a plastic trash bag, knot it tightly, and dispose with your trash.
4.Skip the Plastic Water Bowls & Litter Scoops
Choose ceramic or glass water bowls for your cat rather than plastic ones. Plastic bowls can retain odors and residue, which can cause many cats to turn up their nose.
Consider using a metal scoop for your litter box maintenance. These tend to be more durable and longer-lasting than plastic. Many also have a non-stick coating that makes for easier litter scooping and clean up.
5.Keep the Litter Box Tidy
The litter you choose and how often you clean the litter box play a role in how long your litter pan will last. Cat urine contains ammonia and the longer it sits in the box, the more it can damage it.
Daily or twice-daily scooping is not only better for you and your kitty, but also helps extend the life of the litter pan. Empty the entire litter box at least once a month to rotate out old litter.
Choosing ARM & HAMMER™ Slide™ Cat Litter can help you with this task. It doesn’t stick to the bottom of the litter box for easier clean-up and the hard clumping action means there is less chance for cat urine to soak into the litter pan.
6.Seek out Products with Environmental Labels and Certifications
If you’re hoping to decrease your environmental impact with your cat, join Church & Dwight, the maker of ARM & HAMMER™ cat litters, in these eco-friendly and sustainable choices:
- Choose Green-e® Certified Products. Church & Dwight plants produce ARM & HAMMER™ cat litters using verified renewable energy. You can find the Green-e® clean energy certification symbol on ARM & HAMMER™ cat litter packaging, which indicates that 100% of the electricity used to manufacture these products is matched with renewable energy credits, primarily from wind energy.
- Celebrate Earth Day on April 22 every year and educate your family and friends about ways to go green and support the environment. Church & Dwight sponsored the first Earth Day in 1970 and continues to support its mission of promoting ways to protect the planet.
- Join Church & Dwight in planting trees. with the Arbor Day Foundation, which plants millions of trees in the Mississippi River Valley, helping to eliminate 300 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. You can start by planting a single tree to help absorb carbon dioxide, provide shelter for animals and help prevent landslides.
7.Grow Your Own Greens and Make DIY Cat Toys
Sure, planting a tree is a great way to go green, but so is planting your own greens for your cat – inside. For around 50% of cats, catnip has a playfully fun effect. Thanks to the natural chemical nepetalactone (try saying that 10 times fast), catnip can produce a safe, yet stimulant-like response when sniffed — getting your cat to roll around, flip over and act like a young kitten again.
It’s easy to grow your own catnip, then use it as filling to sew an easy DIY cat toy. You can also grow cat grass at home — a type of cereal grass that’s safe for your cat to eat. Either way, your indoor greens are helping you and your cat make greener choices.
Being a Sustainable Cat Parent
You don’t have to make big changes to make a big impact on the planet. The small sustainable choices you make every day can make a difference for your cat, your home — and the environment.
