With some trial and error, a pet owner landed on an eco-friendly alternative to traditional kitty litter that not only saves money but also reduces waste.

The owner shared their experience to Reddit within the r/ZeroWaste community, showcasing a cost-effective and sustainable option — leaning on pine pellets.

They purchased a 40-pound bag from Tractor Supply Co. for $7. After refining their system, they found the bag lasted approximately three months for their cat. That's equivalent to a mere 7 cents per day.

The Redditor explained that their litter system involves a sifting tray and two bins. The sawdust collects in the bottom bin and is added to compost every two weeks, while the top bin is replenished weekly.

The method solves previous concerns about sifting, with the sawdust falling down automatically. They did have to manually pick up the cat poop themselves. That aside, they were very pleased with the method's overall performance and called it "100% compostable, dirt cheap, zero waste."

After reading through some feedback, they did note that cat owners should make sure that animal waste is OK to compost, per their city's guidelines. The Redditor's method is a smart way to avoid some of the pitfalls of clay-based litter and embrace a more eco-friendly way.

As Petmate notes, the production of that clay can involve strip mining that contributes to habitat destruction. Chemicals are also present in the litters. Unlike the OP's solution, disposal of the litter is another problem. It can pile up in landfills, taking centuries to break down, and many owners might use plastic bags to collect it.

Composting can ease those issues, and pine pellets are a great starting point to make that happen, per PetMD. Pet users should just make sure their cat adapts to it and check that no dangerous elements are in the pellets, such as phenol.

Fortunately, pet companies are trying to accommodate eco-friendly owners with less plastic usage and other cat litter alternatives such as wheat-based or corn-based litter.

For Redditors looking for a DIY solution, the OP's method was a winner.

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"I've been using this store's brand of wood pellets for 5+ years and it's saved me so much money," one shared.

"I'm going to test this out!" another Redditor announced. "I've got four cats and the waste created from caring for them always weighs on me."

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