Pets and plastic don’t have to go together

Tamara Harbar
Going Green
Remember my new year’s resolution not to use plastic bags anymore? The one I’ve been working on all year?

After I switched to reusable totes for all my shopping, another problem popped up. I’d always saved plastic bags for the kitchen garbage and the  cat litter. Now what?

It was time to hunt for an alternative.

When I saw the Biobags at P’lovers, I pounced. They look like plastic, feel like plastic, and act like plastic, except for one major difference. Biobags, made from cornstarch, vegetable oil and compostable polyester, are certified 100 per cent biodegradable and compostable.

When I tested them on our kitchen waste, the Biobags also solved the odour problem. That made them ideal for cat litter.

But the little dumps still had to go to the big dump, at a cost to the wallet as well as the environment.

So I went shopping again, this time for flushable cat litter. I picked one called The World’s Best Cat Litter, also made from corn. I haven’t tried other flushable kitty-litters, just because this one works so well. It’s the next best thing to catnip.

It clumps amazingly well and it’s naturally deodorizing, without any harmful additives. Our three cats all liked the texture and accepted it immediately.

The World’s Best Cat Litter is on the expensive side, but it’s saved us money in garbage tags. One bag also lasts a long time, so we’ve come out ahead.

Just to be on the safe side, I spoke with folks in the City of Stratford’s Engineering & Public Works Department and the Ontario Clean Water Agency on West Gore Street where Stratford’s waste water is treated.

I’ve been told that flushable cat litter is not a problem for the pipes or the treatment facility. In fact, the idea was enthusiastically welcomed.

As for parasites or bacteria from pet waste getting into our water system, the waste treatment facility cooks solids at such high temperatures, no bad bugs can survive.

Place the used cat litter in a small bucket or tub beside the litter, then flush, keeping amounts no larger than what toilets usually take per flush. Sometimes we let clumps soak and soften for a few minutes first.

The OCWA spokesperson suggested placing clumps in a container of water beside the litter so they can dissolve even further before flushing. Use rain barrel water or saved dish-washing water.

DO NOT flush clay-based litters. Clay clogs pipes and doesn’t decompose since it’s already in its most natural state. The same goes for silica-based litters. Clay dust, aka sodium bentonite, can cause respiratory disease and asthma in cats and humans alike. It’s also extracted through environmentally damaging strip mining. So for your health, your cat’s and the environment’s, investigate litters made from safe and natural materials, even if you don’t intend to flush them. A wide range of options and prices are available for you and your feline friend, whether it’s corn, wheat, wood pellets, or pine.

Litters with added scents or dyes can trigger allergies in cats and humans, even disrupt hormones. Natural litters control or eliminate odours, without hurting anything or anyone.

BioBag® makes Dog Waste Bags, too. Why not flush Fido’s daily offerings, too?