11 Best Eco-Friendly Litter Boxes in 2023 – Reviews & Top Picks

A litter box is undoubtedly one of the first purchases you’ll make when inviting a cat into your home. The industry has seen a bump in sales in recent years as more people have opted to get a pet. Experts expect the clumping litter market alone to reach $1.16 billion by 2025¹. It is by far the most popular type. The litter box helps to ensure that it stays inside instead of on your floors or furniture.

Our guide considers two aspects of choosing an eco-friendly product: the box’s construction and its environmental impact. It is difficult to avoid plastic litter boxes but they do have advantages such as durability. We’ll also delve into indirect ways of making the right choice with litter boxes that keep the contents inside of them and not throughout your home. We’ll start with some reviews of our favorite products to help with your comparison shopping.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2023

The 11 Best Eco-Friendly Litter Boxes

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Kitty Poo Club’s disposable litter boxes can make your life easier while protecting the environment. These leakproof cardboard litter boxes are fully recyclable and ship without extra packaging. They also come with biodegradable, non-GMO, fully renewable corn & wheat cat litter sourced from US farms.

Kitty Poo Club is our favorite eco-friendly litter box because it’s both convenient and sustainable. Backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee, these subscription boxes ship for free using low-impact FedEx Ground Economy. Choose between three subscription levels (Basic, Purrfect, and Super) with varying accessories like scoops, domes, and mats. And did we mention the surprisingly stylish box design?

The only downside is that you have to sign up for a subscription, and it probably won’t fit tighter budgets. But overall, we think Kitty Poo Club’s recyclable litter boxes are the best eco-friendly litter boxes you can currently buy.

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The LitterMaid Disposable Cat Litter Box is an ideal solution on several scores. You get three pans with your purchase. They are surprisingly well-made and durable, lasting up to 2 weeks. They are made of recycled materials, which are biodegradable, making this product our choice for the best eco-friendly litter box for the money. You can also use them as liners if they fit what you have now.

The litter box is leakproof, which was a pleasant surprise. While it’s not a long-term solution, it gets the job done if you need one for traveling with your kitty. They aren’t as big as many litter boxes, making them a better choice for kittens and smaller pets.

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The Smarty Pear Leo’s Loo Too Cat Litter Box isn’t for everyone if just because of the price. However, it offers outstanding functionality and features you won’t find in many of these products. It’s automatic and will sweep away waste, leaving behind clean litter. The odor control is top-notch with UV sanitation to keep things safe for you and your pet.

You can control the device with your smartphone. You can monitor your cat’s health with the app. That’s a worthwhile perk if your pet has urinary issues. It will also send an alert to your phone when it’s time to empty the drawer. The covered design will keep litter in the box where it belongs.

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The design of the Lucky Champ Cat Litter Pan helps keep litter in the box with its high back and sides. It also has a shorter front entry to make it easier for kittens and senior pets to use. It’s a decent size, but it’s not a standard one in case you use liners. The open pan makes for easy cleaning. The materials are durable and won’t absorb odors making this great re-usable choice.

The front has a slight lip on it to catch any litter clinging to your cat’s paws. The litter box also has side handles to make it easier to move and clean. The design impinges slightly on the available space, making it too small for larger pets.

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The Frisco High-Sided Cat Litter Box ticks off several boxes we like to see in these products. The sides are not only high to keep litter in the box, but they wrap around the front, leaving a short opening for your pet. It’s fine for most animals. However, it might be a bit too tall for senior or arthritic cats. Nevertheless, it’s our pick for one of the best overall eco-friendly litter boxes.

It’s made of BPA free plastic, so it’s lightweight and easy to clean. The product is also recyclable, making it an environmentally friendly purchase. The price is right for the style and size. We thought it was a decent value, too.

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The Ohm Earth’s OhmBox isn’t your average litter box. It’s one of the few we’ve seen made of stainless steel. That means no odor absorption and easy maintenance. It has rounded corners for your and your pet’s safety. It’s a decent size. On the downside, it’s heavier than many open litter pans, but it certainly isn’t a deal breaker. It’s an eco-friendly choice backed by a lifetime guarantee, a rarity in these products.

The litter box is spendy and a bit narrower than many comparable items. The sides are only 6 inches high, which is probably adequate in most cases unless your pet goes to town with the litter.

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The Catit Jumbo Hooded Cat Pan does a fantastic job at keeping litter in the box with its covered design. It has a door to improve odor control. However, you can take it off if your kitty is reluctant to use it at first. Many cats prefer the privacy that a covered tray offers. One of the drawbacks of this type of litter box is the concentration of odors. The manufacturer resolves that issue with a carbon filter.

That’s good and bad because it’s something else you’ll have to get. We liked the built-in bag anchor for those who use liners. That’s probably the bane of many pet owners. It’s simple to maintain with slider clips that release the top for easy access.

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The IRIS Open Top Litter Box with Shield is an example of a little tweak making a big difference. The removable shield brings the best of both worlds. It has the ease of use of an open pan with the higher sides comparable to a covered box with a top entry. It has an 8-inch-wide front opening. However, it is still high enough at 6.5 inches to keep the litter in the box.

The product is an excellent value. It’s not as large as some boxes, which can limit its usefulness for some pets. It’s worth noting that it is an item meant for adults instead of kittens. Seniors may have problems walking into it because of the high front entry. Make sure the shield snaps in place before using it.

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The Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Box System isn’t just the container. It’s also the litter with absorbent pads to manage the waste. The concept is sound, minimizing your contact with your pet’s waste. You can get 7 days’ use out of each pad that absorbs the urine. You can scoop out solid waste with the included scoop. The box has a higher back to keep the Breeze litter pellets in place. They are an excellent choice since your cat won’t track them.

The pellets last a month, which makes them an eco-friendly choice with less waste. The absorbent pad extends its life for a better value. However, you’re left with using proprietary replacements that can cost more in the long run, especially if you have more than one cat.

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The Nature’s Miracle Just For Cats Advanced High-Sided Corner Cat Litter Box makes excellent use of space, which many will appreciate if you’re limited on room. The sides are high, which helps with saving litter. The product is large to accommodate bigger pets. It has a shorter 6.6-inch front entry to make it more accessible. It’s a better choice for larger kitties than smaller ones.

The litter box has an antimicrobial coating to keep things safe for you and your pet. Placing it in a corner seems brilliant. However, you’ll probably need to protect the walls from spraying and scratching. It’s another product that will work best with an adult cat without mobility issues.

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The Omega Paw Easy Fill Roll ‘n Clean Cat Litter Box won’t win any awards for the most pleasing design. It may be unattractive, but it still is functional. Its shape helps you empty and fill it with minimal spillage. The fact that it’s self-cleaning makes it even more convenient to use if you prefer a product with nearly hands-off operation. It’s available in large and extra-large sizes, although both seem small.

On the downside, it is pricey. Also, the manufacturer recommends using it only with clumping litter. The construction isn’t as durable as we’d like. We’d only consider using it in a room that visitors won’t usually see. Our take was that users often had to make modifications to make it work best.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Eco-Friendly Litter Box

A litter box is a godsend for people who share their home with cats. It’s hard to believe that litter was a relatively recent invention from 1947. This product allows cats to follow their instinctive behavior to cover up their waste while keeping odors under control. This market segment has expanded with more choices available than ever. It’s come a long way since the open litter pan.

About 45.3 million households have a cat. Most Americans keep their pets indoors or at least partially so, making a litter box a necessity. Things to consider when looking for one include:

Type

The open litter pan is often the common and affordable type. It’s easy to clean while making it accessible for your pet. The drawback is that litter often ends up in many places outside the box. However, manufacturers have tweaked the design to help deal with this vexing issue. One of the first innovations was the hooded box. Its success lies in the fact that cats like to hide. It benefits pet owners by keeping the litter where it belongs.

However, cleaning them is a bit more involved since you have to take them apart every time. Manufacturers have responded to owner feedback with many other designs to make maintaining a litter box easier and more eco-friendly. You’ll see top-entry models that do an excellent job of containing the litter. Self-cleaning products make things more hands-off and safer for pet owners.

A new approach is hidden-in-plain-sight products. They may resemble pieces of furniture, houseplants, or other unobtrusive designs so that you can put them anywhere in your home without drawing attention to what their function is. How eco-friendly they are depends on other factors.

Size

Size comes into play on several scores. The first is usability for your cat. It should be big enough for your pet to turn around inside it. We prefer products with higher sides to keep the litter in the box—or at least help to. The same consideration applies to covered boxes. The opening and height must be big enough for your pet to use it. We also suggest measuring the space where you plan to put it to ensure it fits.

Material

Many products are made of different types of plastic. While it may not seem eco-friendly at first glance, it has a lot going for it, starting with the price. This inexpensive material makes these litter boxes more affordable. They are also non-porous, so they won’t absorb odors, allowing you to get your money’s worth from your purchase. Plastic is a durable product so you should get several years of use and some can be recycled. On the practical side, they’re lightweight, which can make cleaning easier.

We’ve also seen products in other materials that also offer an environmentally friendly solution. Stainless steel boxes are easy to clean with the added durability of the metal. On the other end of the spectrum are disposable litter boxes. The advantage of these items is straightforward maintenance. You needn’t touch the litter but simply toss it in the trash. They’re an excellent solution for traveling. Most are also biodegradable.

Litter-Sparing Features

It seems like no matter what we do, our cats scatter litter outside the box. It wouldn’t make as much of a difference if it were just a small amount. Sometimes, we’ll find mounds of litter on the side. That opens up another set of problems if your pet thinks it’s an extension of the litter box. High-sided products, covered ones, and top-entry items are excellent solutions.

Usability

Since litter boxes need daily maintenance, it only makes sense to add ease of use to the features to consider. That will bring closures, weight, and dimensions to the forefront, especially if you have to move it for cleaning. We suggest scanning user reviews to see if it’s an issue with a product you’re considering. Remember that some kitties won’t use their boxes if it isn’t clean.

• See Also: Litter Champ vs Litter Genie

Conclusion

Going through our reviews brought us to a clear decision. The Kitty Poo Club tops our list as the best eco-friendly product. The LitterMaid Disposable Cat Litter Box is an ideal pick for a short-term solution or for traveling. Maintenance couldn’t be easier with this product. If you’re looking for a litter box with more features and high-tech control, the Smarty Pear Leo’s Loo Too Cat Litter Box is the one for you and your cat. It even has UV sanitation and you can control it from your smartphone.

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Featured Image Credit: Grzegorz Petrykowski, Shutterstock