an All-Natural Kitty Litter

After writing the blog on biodegradable poop bags for dogs, I received “equal time” requests for cats. So thanks to your probing paws, today's entry is about greener, healthier, kitty litter alternatives. A quick search on the web shows several outlets for organic kitty litter, so the supply is out there.

Did you know that cat litter started off with recycled, organic materials such as sand, sawdust, fireplace ashes and old newspaper? Each had their faults like unless the sawdust was from cedar there was no odor control. It wasn't until recent times that clumping, odor-control versions of cat litter were developed using things like clay (which is a non-renewable resource, removed from the ground, fill up landfills and never break down).

If you're a Do-It-Yourself type, you can pick up sawdust on the cheap from your local garden or hardware stores, or mix some baking soda in with sand or ash as an alternative to the cheaper grocery store kitty litter.

If you're not interested in a home made cat litter solution, there are several commercial alternatives available including Feline Pine and Yesterday's News.

Next up: Environmental alternatives for raccoons, squirrels, tigers and giraffes. Just kidding, I think.

Biodegradable poop bags

Here's a simple change people can do to make a daily chore a bit greener.

Your ears will perk up when you hear about this one, especially if you live in a city and have to pick up after your pup. 100% bio-degradable poop bags for dogs.

BioBag Dog holds the distinction of being the first biodegradable and compostable "plastic" pooper bag in the world.

Besides being the law in many towns, picking up after your pet is part of being a responsible pet owner. Polyethylene-based plastic bags can last hundreds of years and often "mummify" your pet's waste, which would otherwise decompose naturally. Now owners have a environmentally friendly solution, BioBag Dog.

In the past, the best solution for disposal of pet waste was to separate it from the bag or paper and flush it down the toilet. Using BioBags the waste and the bag can be thrown in your backyard compost, where both items can decompose naturally; the waste and bag can be buried, where micro-organisms will quickly eat both; the waste and bag can be set at curbside with other yard waste where communities collect biodegradable waste for composting. Disposal options vary by community.

Amazon.com sells BioBags from about $7.50 and up.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is Recycled to Build New Homes

The country’s most popular tree is going Green. The eight-ton Christmas tree, stretching 72 feet above Rockefeller Center, is being milled into lumber for Habitat for Humanity homes in Brooklyn, New York.

This isn’t the first Rockefeller Center Xmas Tree to be recycled. In 2007, lumber from the tree was was used to build housing for survivors of Hurricane Katrina and in past years the tree was made into mulch for hiking trails and wooden toys for the animals at The Bronx Zoo.
In 2007, the Rock’s tree went "green," when it started using LED lights.