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Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Teresa Pawcats on April 28, 2009, 10:52:26 AM

Title: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Teresa Pawcats on April 28, 2009, 10:52:26 AM
We use approx 10 x 30litre bags of woodbased litter weekly sometimes more, we have always double bagged it and taken to local tip. Big problem local tip have now refused to take it and local council do not provide provisions for dealing with such. I cannot bury such huge amounts in garden, anyone have any ideas?
What do other rescues/catteries do?
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Dawn F on April 28, 2009, 10:58:47 AM
refused to take it??  That is ridiculous what on earth do they expect you to do with it?
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Teresa Pawcats on April 28, 2009, 11:09:56 AM
We have been informed that it is classed as hazardous waste and must make other arrangements, have checked and council have no provision for hazardous. For months now the men at tip have been looking inside bags and either allowing it to go in skip or sending you away, we have now been sent away.
Will add local tip has been privatised and people have clearly said they do not want landfill waste as it costs them, they only want recyclable materials, incidentally babies nappies are refused also.
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: clarenmax on April 28, 2009, 11:38:11 AM
If the council won't take it, you may have to look into one of the companies who service commercial buildings, like Biffa or similar?

You rent the bin from them and pay a fee every time its emptied.

Not ideal, but may be better than trying to burying it.

You do have to faff around with waste transfer notes etc though......
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Christine (Blip) on April 28, 2009, 12:23:02 PM
Our local council has no facilities for hazardous waste but the City of London Corporation does and all hazardous waste from our borough is collected by them.  In your case, Teresa, presumably the equivalent is Cheshire East or Cheshire West Council?

I would also write to my MP if I were you as the policy of your local tip is outrageous  >:(
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on April 28, 2009, 12:43:15 PM
This is not only crazy but also very worrying.

Mine is still going in my black bags only collected every two weeks now and obviously do not have as much as you, one 30 litre sack used in a month at present.

On the website of the litter I use I am sure it uses Cheshire as a sort of reference saying that cats urine helps to break down compost quickly so they recommend this particular litter. If it is good for composting then it follows that its good for environment!!!!!!!!!!

Of course this is not litter soiled in other ways as my compost bin instructions say that by products from meat eating animals, meat and used tissues must not be used as the heat generated is not hot enough to kill the pathergens.....is that the right word..........and could cause infections and diseases to breed and spred.

I do not use any litter in my compost bin and couldnt even bury the volume that I have, without gradually turning the whole garden into a landfill!

I am lucky at the moment that they are taking my back bags cos virtually the whole content is litter and cat food, cos the food bins are not fly proof and you are not allowed to put plastic bags in them.

We have different types of recycling sites and the one nearest me is a big one that seems to take most thinks but if I wasnted to take my black bags up there they would have to go in the house hold waste container which is huge and always full.

The litter weighs so heavy and the cat food stinks, I am very worried if it was to get warmer!

I know where my mother lives they would not be able to take litter to the recycle site either and I asked what happens to the food waste and she thinks it goes to Cambridgeshire to be treated and the vehicles leave a stinking smell every where they go.

I was on M4 on Friday and stuck in traffic and a big vehicle just ahead was stinking the place out so guess it was carrying wrotten food.

I think someone is gonna have to rethink all of this cos I believe that its going to course us medical problems eventually.

I will be interested to hear what the answer to Teresas question is and know that toxic dumping was because of the costs of beiing able to put it somewhere safe.
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: sheryl on April 28, 2009, 13:00:17 PM
Most of mine goes in the bin in nappy sacks and so far has always been taken - when I empty the trays completely it goes out the back into the farmers field  onto his compost heap.  I use Chick Crumb so it is biodegradeable and the farmer doesnt mind.
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Kay and Penny on April 28, 2009, 14:43:02 PM
sounds to me as if it is getting time for councils to have a specific policy about cat litter

I wonder what catteries do? might be worth asking around
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Indys Mamma on April 28, 2009, 14:53:17 PM
I use wood based litter and after a quick check with my council it goes in the 'garden refuse/composting' bin as I scoop the poop out... the poop gets flushed or binned in the normal landfill bin after being double-bagged in biodegradable bags
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Den on April 28, 2009, 15:25:24 PM
sounds to me as if it is getting time for councils to have a specific policy about cat litter

I wonder what catteries do? might be worth asking around

The 2 that I worked at [one was also a rescue] put the used litter in with the regular rubbish. It would all get picked up just like normal household waste.
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Mark on April 28, 2009, 18:44:26 PM
Rolvenden rescue burn theirs - they have a bit of land so less of a problem but in a garden it might be. Maybe you could burn it in a brazier?

Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Teresa Pawcats on April 28, 2009, 19:12:17 PM
Cant burn it,its not very environmentally friendly.
We can sneak some in household wheelie bin but that is emptied just once a fortnight and we could fill 4 of them per week,also our miserable council is thinking of weighing bins soon and charging accordingly. The green waste wheelie bin is strictly for garden waste and plain cardboard. We even have tubs for used cans which must be washed with labels removed and then crushed. I do know that a local commercial cattery are now in the same boat as me.
Guess its a letter to Mike Hall MP if and when I get the time, at the end of the day its the government who set the targets for improving environment and obviously poop is high on their agenda.

Just want to mention that flushing poop down loo is harmful to fish.



Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Mark on April 28, 2009, 19:26:09 PM
Apparently, wood gives out exactly the same amount of CO2 when burned as it would left to rot so not as environentally unfriendly as it seems (acording to the people that sold us the wood burner  :shify: ). During the winter, I burned all ours in our wood burner.
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Liz on April 28, 2009, 20:12:26 PM
We add ours to the garden waste skip at our local tip and in the summer we use it on the compost heap we have in the woods mixed with lawn clippings and the wood compost heap is now looking good.

I would ask them to give you it officially in writing that it is a dangerous substance as such they can supply you with a bin for the soul purpose of the sawdust litter - it vomes under commercial use but they are supposed to give you alternatives

Do you flush the solids - we do and have darainage to a septic tank but only throw out the wee infested sawdust which composts down beautifully
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Kay and Penny on April 28, 2009, 20:14:35 PM
my cats prefer outdoors, and use two spaces in patio which I keep filled with John Innes 2 - I take out the lumps burn them or flush them, and from time to time put old stuff on garden and add new - frequency depends on how much it has rained

I wonder if compost would be feasible in indoor trays? (messy though, I grant you :naughty:)
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: fluffycloud123 on April 28, 2009, 20:23:20 PM
our 2 have a tray of the silicate stuff however never use it as they have a plot of compost in the garden they enjoy using. so we have fenced it off with a nice little picket fence so noone treads on it. gonna put a kitty toilet sign on it too :rofl:
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Millys Mum on April 29, 2009, 19:12:04 PM
If they really wont budge then you have options of paying for it to be collected by a company, burning it or a macerator which isnt cheap.
Can you ask cats to poop a recycleable material instead?
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Teresa Pawcats on April 30, 2009, 08:42:06 AM
Can you ask cats to poop a recycleable material instead?

I`m going to order them to poop Gold Nuggets :rofl:
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: blackcat on April 30, 2009, 09:01:47 AM
Good lord, what will they think of next. My cat poop gets flushed (when I have a loo that flushes ...) and the rest of the litter gets put in the compost heap along with the green waste and kitchen waste. I makes for a great, hot compost heap and if it sustains the heat over a period of time, any nasty bacteria are killed - commercial composters use a similar process. Do you think you might have one of those handy T? If so they may welcome you with open arms so they don't have to use as much electricity to keep their compost hot ...
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls on April 30, 2009, 12:50:15 PM
Can you ask cats to poop a recycleable material instead?

 :rofl:

Its says on my bag of litter to put it in with the normal household waste, so thats what I do  :shy:

Councils are getting rediculous  >:(
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: catalyst on May 01, 2009, 01:02:20 AM

Just want to mention that flushing poop down loo is harmful to fish.


And what do you think your own poop does then? It doesnt just flush right into the sea. It goes through a big squisher (very technical term!). Down the loo, or in the bin it'l have some impact. Id rather it decomposed naturally at first or if you dont have that option id flush, rather than it sit in a plastic bag. Im talking poop here btw. The actual litter i used to put in compost bin, now i just put it in with normal rubbish as i dont have that much and dont have a compost bin anymore!
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Mark on May 01, 2009, 06:51:01 AM
Standard sewage treatment doesn't kill Toxoplasmosis. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1230487/never_flush_cat_litter_how_your_cats.html
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: catalyst on May 01, 2009, 11:42:37 AM
Interesting article, but if you have any from actual scientists then i would be more interested. I would still rather flush than put it in a plastic bag to sit in landfill for years to come.
Title: Re: Used litter thoughts please
Post by: Mark on May 01, 2009, 18:10:59 PM
An excerpt from a book written by scientists http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1OnA_syYnTkC&pg=PA105&lpg=PA105&dq=FLUSH+CAT+FAECES&source=bl&ots=ZlY9UlOrQq&sig=hO20wEwfgWhfdfIa-ywYCasqFAA&hl=en&ei=Xyz7SYrnLaSsjAf9tNyVAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8#PPA105,M1