# Environmental Impact of Silicone Cat Litter **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 20, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-silicone-cat-litter/446147 "2008-04-20T20:13:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-silicone-cat-litter/446147/1 "2008-04-20T20:13:30Z")
We are trying to reduce the amount of waste we create to one grocery bag per fortnight (including recyclables). How does silicone measure up? Currently, I use a silicone cat litter. I started using it for two reasons: 1. Its odor control is unbelievable. I could pour a cup of water into the fresh box, then run my hand through it and it would be bone dry. When the cats peed, the box would be dry, the silicone beads would completely absorb the cat pee and turn yellow, but the box was DRY and virtually odorless. Plus, the dust was “cleaner”. It also helped monitor Lenny’s off-and-on bladder infections (if the silicone beads had reddish hues, it was vet time). 2. Lenny refused to poop in any litter that was compostable or made out of recycled materials. Compostable corn-based litter? He’d poop on the floor. “Yesterday’s News”? Floor poop. But now that Lenny has gone on to the greener pastures of the afterlife, I’m thining I could get Squiggy to use other litter options IF they are more environmentally friendly alternatives. So, how does silicone rank? Presently, with only Squiggy, the litter lasts up to four times longer than anything else I’ve tried so I don’t need to actually change it so often, so I don’t need to throw it out as often. But if compostable materials are better, then I’ll try ot get him to use that instead. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-silicone-cat-litter/446147/2 "2008-04-20T20:34:57Z")
For one thing, it is not [silicone](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone) cat litter it is [silica gel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_silicate%5B/url) cat litter. There is nothing particularly environmentally hazardous about silica gel. It will basically turn into glass in the environment. As far as the environmental impact of manufacturing it goes, I have no idea. I think that compostable stuff is horrible. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-silicone-cat-litter/446147/3 "2008-04-20T20:47:18Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher] I think that compostable stuff is horrible. [/QUOTE] Horrible as a litter? Or horrible as garbage? My impression, having used the silica gel (thanks for the clarification), is that it’s about as benign as gravel. Benign is okay in my books (aside from concerns about the manufacturing process), but “compostable” sounds more uselful. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-silicone-cat-litter/446147/4 "2008-04-20T21:17:40Z")
I think that compostable stuff is horrible as a litter. It is high maintenance, and with my cats, that means poop on the floor where it’s clean. I use the clumping stuff though. I tried the silica gel, but I’m not comfortable with not cleaning it out every day. I think little miss princess would be upset if her litter wasn’t cleaned daily. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-silicone-cat-litter/446147/5 "2008-04-20T22:41:33Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher] I think that compostable stuff is horrible as a litter. It is high maintenance, and with my cats, that means poop on the floor where it’s clean. I use the clumping stuff though. I tried the silica gel, but I’m not comfortable with not cleaning it out every day. I think little miss princess would be upset if her litter wasn’t cleaned daily. [/QUOTE] Yes, Lenny hated anything that he didn’t think was equivalent to dirt or sand, and would poop _beside_ the box. With Squiggy, I still scoop regularly, and the litter lasts a month if I do. I haven’t tried alternative litters with Squiggy. If the silica gel is inert, does that mean it just basically sits in the landfill useless and not degrading ever? ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-silicone-cat-litter/446147/6 "2008-04-20T23:00:53Z")
Silicates are natural minerals. Sodium silicate may not be natural, but it will turn into the natural forms in the landfill fairly quickly. In fact, by the time you dump it out, the process is well on its way. I would call it benign. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2008, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-silicone-cat-litter/446147/7 "2008-04-21T02:09:47Z")
Thanks. If it can’t biodegrade further, then it’s just adding to the landfill pile. I’ll try something else. Hopefully Squiggy will be okay using one of the wheat- or corn-based litters. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2008, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-silicone-cat-litter/446147/8 "2008-04-21T09:19:06Z")
I have switched to flushable litter, especially since the box is two steps from the nearest toilet. It clumps immediately and is easy to toss & flush. And kitties love it.