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Home > Cats > 7 Best Cat Litter Disposal Systems & Waste Receptacles in 2023 – Reviews & Top Picks

7 Best Cat Litter Disposal Systems & Waste Receptacles in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Cat Litter Disposal

Cat litter is unsightly, unsanitary, and needs clearing out regularly. Rather than filling up your household waste with odorous and unpleasant, soiled litter, a good cat litter disposal system or waste receptacle enables you to keep the litter tray clean without contaminating the kitchen bin. Despite there being dozens of choices of litter trays and boxes, there is a surprisingly limited selection of dedicated litter disposal systems.

Below, you will find reviews of seven of the best cat litter disposal systems that let you store used litter until it’s time to jettison the waste permanently.

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A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024

Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Litter Genie XL Cat Litter Disposal Litter Genie XL Cat Litter Disposal
  • Odor barrier prevents smells from escaping
  • Includes scoop and scoop holder
  • Extra-large capacity means less frequent emptying
  • Best Value
    Second place
    Litter Genie Plus Litter Pail Litter Genie Plus Litter Pail
  • The product is cheap to buy
  • Includes a litter scoop
  • Can hold 14 days
  • Premium Choice
    Third place
    Litter Champ Cat Litter Waste Litter Champ Cat Litter Waste
  • Decent capacity
  • Includes scoop
  • Pedal-operated lid
  • Petfusion Portable Cat Pail Petfusion Portable Cat Pail
  • No need for branded bags
  • Includes activated charcoal filter
  • Locking handle makes it portable
  • Litter Genie Cat Litter Pail Litter Genie Cat Litter Pail
  • Cheap
  • Includes a scoop
  • The 10 Best Cat Litter Disposal Systems And Waste Receptacles

    1. Litter Genie Cat Litter Disposal System XL – Best Overall

    Litter Genie Cat Litter

    Material: Plastic
    Dimensions: 9.5”L x 8.5”W x 22.5”H

    The Litter Genie Cat Litter Disposal System XL is one of a series of cat litter disposal systems from Litter Genie. This extra-large capacity bin will, according to the manufacturers, hold up to three weeks of litter from a single cat, although your mileage may vary and if you have multiple cats, it will need emptying more often.

    The pail design has a fitted lid that combines with the odor barrier of the proprietary bags to prevent smells from getting out, even after three weeks of use. The system itself is relatively inexpensive and it includes a single refill, as well as a scoop and a dedicated scoop holder, making it out choice as the best overall cat litter disposal system and waste receptacle.

    However, while the Litter Genie XL is reasonably priced, it is designed to only work with Litter Genie XL replacement bags so it can prove an expensive system, especially for those with multiple indoor cats. Also, while the XL size means less frequent emptying of the litter disposal system, it means heavier bags that are more difficult to carry to the trash.

    Pros
    • Extra-large capacity means less frequent emptying
    • Odor barrier prevents smells from escaping
    • Includes scoop and scoop holder
    Cons
    • Only works with Litter Genie XL bags
    • The bags are expensive
    • Filled bags are heavy and difficult to carry

    2. Litter Genie Plus Cat Litter Disposal System – Best Value

    Litter Genie Plus Cat

    Material: Plastic
    Dimensions: 9.5”L x 8.5”W x 17”H

    The Litter Genie Plus Cat Litter Disposal System is a smaller version of our best pick. With the smaller size comes a smaller price tag, making it the best cat litter disposal system and waste receptacle for the money.

    As well as holding 30% more litter than the standard model, the Plus variant also incorporates antimicrobial protection. Litter Genie claims that it will hold 14 days of litter from a single cat. It is well priced and is suitable for single-cat households, or if you have multiple cats and are happy emptying the bag every week or so.

    It has less capacity than the XL, which is both a blessing and a curse. It means more frequent changing, but it also means that the bag is easier to carry to the household trash on garbage day.

    Like the other Litter Genie systems, however, it works with their own proprietary bag refills, which are not cheap, while the smaller size of this system means a smaller opening so there is a risk of litter getting trapped and lingering around the disposal hole at the top.

    Pros
    • The product is cheap to buy
    • Can hold 14 days of litter from a single cat
    • Includes a litter scoop
    Cons
    • Replacement bags are not cheap to buy
    • Litter gets stuck around the disposal chute

    3. Litter Champ Cat Litter Waste Disposal System – Premium Choice

    Litter Champ Odor-Free

    Material: Plastic
    Dimensions: 9.45”L x 9.45”W x 18.82”H

    The Litter Champ Odor-Free Cat Litter Waste Disposal System is more expensive than the Litter Genie models but it is a decent disposal system with some handy features.

    The ABS resin plastic container will hold 4 gallons of litter, which means that it can last between one and two weeks with a single cat. It uses a bag tying system, so you tie the bag when it is full, and tie the beginning of the next bag. This can be a little inconvenient, especially if you tie the knots too loosely, but it also means that you don’t have to remove the bag when half empty. The system uses dedicated refills, which means additional ongoing costs, and you receive a single roll refill which should last for 10 weeks in a single cat household. It also includes a scoop.

    The Litter Champ is more expensive than the Litter Genies, but it does have a handy foot pedal opener and the plastic feels sturdier. The bag tying system, although a little fiddly, also means that you don’t waste bag space. The included scoop is small, and the pedal doesn’t operate the trap door, so you still have to find a way to open this by hand or using the scoop.

    Pros
    • Decent capacity for a single cat household
    • Includes scoop
    • Pedal-operated lid reduces physical contact
    Cons
    • The cost of Litter Champ refills soon adds up
    • The pedal doesn’t open the trap door
    • Needs regular cleaning around the trap door

    4. Petfusion Portable Cat Litter Disposal

    Material: Plastic
    Dimensions: 9.5”L x 9.5”W x 16.7”H

    The Petfusion Portable Cat Litter Disposal is a simple pail shaped litter disposal system. Made of plastic, one benefit of this system over others in the list is that it can be used with your choice of waste disposal bags. Choose a scented or antimicrobial refuse sack and you won’t need to pay for expensive replacements. It also has an activated charcoal filter to help prevent unwanted smells, and this can be replaced with any of a range of other filters. Because you aren’t tied to using branded refills, it does keep ongoing costs down, but this is one of the more expensive litter disposal systems on the list.

    The system itself is quite basic and isn’t pedal-operated so you will have to open and close the lid manually. However, it does have a portable locking handle. The handle means you can carry the full container to your household trash when it needs emptying and is also convenient if you have multiple litter trays spread across the house. Because this is quite a basic system, it doesn’t do as good a job of preventing smells as other systems.

    Pros
    • No need for branded bags or filter refills
    • Includes activated charcoal filter
    • Locking handle makes it portable
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • Not great at preventing smells
    • Manual lid

    5. Litter Genie Pail Cat Litter Disposal System

    Litter Genie Pail

    Material: Plastic
    Dimensions: 9.5”L x 8.5”W x 17”H

    The Litter Genie Pail Cat Litter Disposal System is the simplest, and therefore most basic, of the Litter Genie models. As such, it does benefit from having the lowest price, and if you have minimal disposal requirements, that could be enough. However, it still requires the use of expensive Litter Genie refills and while the manufacturer claims it holds enough litter for 14 days, you will only get close to this amount if you have a single cat that does a lot of its business outdoors.

    It is a compact design so the Litter Genie Pail will fit snugly into most corners, but the Litter Genie Plus is roughly the same size and the refills will hold 30% more litter, so will be the better choice for most owners. The trap door feature means that you tip the litter out of the included scoop and onto the trap door, pull the trap door handle, and most of the litter will drop into the bags. However, some litter does get stuck, and the Litter Genie Pail will require regular cleaning because of that.

    Pros
    • A budget-friendly option
    • Includes a scoop
    Cons
    • Trap door needs regular cleaning
    • Replacement bags are expensive

    6. Dekor Classic Hands-Free Diaper Pail

    Dekor Classic

    Material: Plastic
    Dimensions: 12.25”L x 21”W x 8.75”H

    Strictly speaking, the Dekor Classic Hands-Free Diaper Pail is for diapers, but even Dekor themselves herald this ABS plastic pail as being suitable for cat litter. The pedal-operated pail is quite large and it should hold enough litter for two weeks or more. If you use the included refill, you will need to tie the top and bottom of the bags as you use them, which can feel unclean and potentially be a bit fiddly, but the Dekor works with any bag that will fit, which includes large waste sacks, also keeping the ongoing cost of your litter disposal system down to a minimum.

    The Dekor Classic Hands-Free Diaper Pail has a spring-loaded trap door, which works independently of the main lid. This means that you will have to manually open it, and because it is designed for diapers, litter can collect around the edge of the trap door. The alternative to shoveling litter directly into this section is to first put it in scoop bags, but this negates the benefits of having a litter disposal system. All in all, this is a reasonable option, but because it isn’t really designed for cat litter, there are some compromises.

    Pros
    • Works with any appropriately sized bags
    • Pedal-operated lid
    Cons
    • The trap door is not pedal-operated
    • Doesn’t prevent odors from escaping
    • Litter collects around the trap door

    7. RedRocket Litter Pail Kitty TWIST’R Litter Disposal System

    Material: Plastic
    Dimensions: 12.6″L x 9″W x 16.5″H

    The RedRocket Litter Pail Kitty TWIST’R Cat Step Litter Disposal System is a dedicated cat litter disposal system that will hold up to two weeks of litter from a single cat, according to the manufacturers. It is pedal operated, so you don’t have to grab the bacteria-ridden lid and it features an unusual bag-sealing design. When the lid closes, the top of the bag twists so that it closes the top, therefore preventing any smells from escaping and spreading around the room. It’s a sound idea in principle, but the bag can get caught, which means that you then have to reach in and grab it to untwist it.

    To further assist in preventing smells, the TWIST’R also uses a charcoal filter. The system is more expensive than most, although it does come with two bag refills and one sachet of charcoal, as well as a scoop that sits inside a side holder, albeit not very securely or snugly.

    Pros
    • Includes a charcoal filter to get rid of smells
    • Self-closing bag system
    • Pedal-operated lid
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • Works with special replacement bags
    • The bag can get stuck when twisting

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    Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Cat Litter Disposal Systems & Waste Receptacle

    Cat litter is a particularly unpleasant by-product of owning a cat. Even if your cat has unfettered access to the outdoor world, they still need somewhere to be able to do their business at home, and experts recommend that cat owners have one litter tray per cat, plus one extra. If you have two cats, that means three litter trays to empty regularly. Even if your cat is a moderate litter box user, the litter material itself needs emptying and refreshing every week or two.

    You can scoop solids and clumped litter into a bag, but that can mean using dozens of small plastic bags every week. You can carry the tray to the bin, but that means routinely handling litter trays and filling your household waste with cat poop and urine: both of which are unsanitary and can cause illness if they are not properly dealt with.

    A cat litter disposal system, or cat waste receptacle, is a dedicated trash bin. It usually sits somewhere close to the litter tray, and it provides somewhere to store cat waste until it’s time to dispose of your household waste. They offer a cleaner, more convenient, and safer way to dispose of your cat’s business.

    Benefits of a Cat Litter Disposal System

    • Easier: If you dispose of litter in your household trash cans, it will need to go in those that have a lid, otherwise the smell will quickly become overbearing. In a lot of cases, this means moving the litter tray to the bin, or vice versa. A cat litter disposal system can be stored close to the litter tray and other litter items, minimizing how far you must carry the scooped litter.
    • Cleaner: Because you don’t have to walk to the trash can with scooped litter in your hand, there is less risk of spilling it on the journey, so there is less clearing up to do through the house. Using a litter disposal system also prevents you from having to use disposable plastic bags and litter bags, both of which can be environmentally unfriendly.
    • Less Smell: There is no avoiding the fact that cat litter smells. That’s why litter manufacturers are at great pains to sell their products on their ability to contain, prevent, or mask odors. And once the litter is in the waste, the smell doesn’t just disappear. Standard trash cans do little to prevent the odorous waft or cat pee and poop from pervading the room, but dedicated litter disposal systems incorporate features like locking lids, carbon filters, and 7-ply bag refills to contain the smell within the pail itself.

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    Diaper Pail vs Cat Litter Waste Receptacle

    One solution to the household cat waste problem is to have a dedicated trash can next to the cat litter, but few small trash cans have convenient lids or other features to control odors.

    Another solution is to use a diaper pail. These are trash cans designed to contain baby diapers and they do incorporate some odor control features. However, they are also designed for soiled diapers. These tend to be quite heavy, and the soil is somewhat contained within the enclosed diaper. Lighter cat litter will not open spring-loaded trap doors and you will usually need much better odor control to manage the smell. Diaper pails are also quite large because they will hold several diapers a day, compared to one or two scoops of cat litter.

    Cat Disposal Litter

    Features

    When buying a cat litter waste receptacle, you will see some of the following features:

    Pedal Operated Lid

    Once you’ve scooped the litter, you need to be able to easily drop the contents inside the trash. If it has a manual lid, it can mean juggling a scoop and the lid itself, and this also means touching the cat litter trash lid: hardly an appealing prospect. A pedal-operated lid may not be an essential requirement, but it is a beneficial feature to look for. Be aware, however, that most systems have a top lid and a trap door, and the trap door is not usually operated by the pedal so you will still need to open this using the scoop itself or some other means.

    Trap Door

    Many disposal systems include a trap door that is below the main lid and offers an additional barrier to prevent smells from getting out. The litter is placed on the trap door, and the trap door is opened so that the litter and its contents fall into the trash. These do perform the task of stopping smells from escaping. However, they tend to be spring-loaded, which means you have to push them open with the scoop, so you will need a scoop that fits the trap door opening. Furthermore, the trap door will need regular cleaning, and some do a poor job of getting rid of all the litter, especially if it’s damp and liable to stick to hard surfaces.

    Capacity

    The capacity of the litter receptacle matters because if it doesn’t hold enough litter, it means that you will have to empty it every couple of days, negating the purpose of having one in the first place. On the other hand, if the capacity of the bin is too large, cat urine and poop can sit festering for weeks, and when it is time to remove the bag, it can be heavy and unwieldy. Consider how often your household waste is collected and try to match the capacity of the litter trash to that timetable.

    Portable Handle

    Litter receptacles can be placed near the litter tray, but most households have at least two trays and don’t necessarily want two litter systems. A portable handle enables you to easily and conveniently move the litter around your house and from one litter tray to the next so that you can more easily empty each tray.

    Bag Refills

    Most cat litter disposal systems use their own bags and bag systems. Many require that you tie the bag before and after use, therefore ensuring that you don’t have to tie off and dispose of a half-full bag. However, this also means that you will need to buy refill bags, or cartridges, that are designed specifically for use in your cat litter system. These can be expensive, so while the litter disposal system itself is cheap, the ongoing cost is not. Some systems can be used with standard kitchen waste sacks or even some shopping bags, although these do not have antimicrobial or odor-busting properties.

    See Also:

    Conclusion

    There’s no avoiding the fact that cat litter is gross, but if you have a cat, you will have cat litter. Emptying the litter, and its contents, into standard household trash cans is not the most hygienic or convenient way to get rid of it, however, and this is where cat litter disposal systems are especially convenient.

    In our reviews, we cover seven of the best waste receptacles that are fit for this very purpose, and we found that the Litter Genie XL offered the best combination of price and litter storage and disposal features of all the available products. If you’re looking to spend a little less, the same company’s Litter Genie Plus Cat Litter Disposal System does a decent job and costs quite a few dollars less.

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