Pet-waste composting guidance reviewed 10 October 2026
Can you compost pet waste? Usually not in an ordinary backyard compost pile. The U.S. EPA specifically lists pet waste and cat litter among materials to avoid in home compost. Dog poop can be composted in a separate, carefully managed system, and USDA guidance describes how this can be done safely enough for landscaping uses. Cat feces need more caution because of parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii; for home composting, the safer rule is to keep used cat litter and cat feces out.
If your main goal is disposal rather than making compost, check the route first: local trash/general waste, a dedicated pet-waste system, or—in limited cases—a properly managed dog-waste composting setup. Do not assume a green bin, garden-waste bin or “compostable” bag means pet waste is accepted.
This page owns the pet-waste disposal and composting question. For terminology such as biodegradable versus compostable, use our biodegradable vs compostable pet-products guide rather than treating those labels as disposal instructions.
Pet Waste Disposal: Quick Answer by Waste Type
| Waste | Ordinary backyard compost? | Better route |
|---|---|---|
| Dog poop | No | General waste where required locally, or a dedicated managed dog-waste composting system |
| Cat poop | No | General waste or another locally approved route; avoid home food/garden compost |
| Used cat litter | No | Follow local disposal rules; plant-based litter does not make contaminated litter automatically compostable |
| Clean unused plant-based litter | Potentially, depending on material | Check the manufacturer and your local composting rules |
| Compostable poop bag containing feces | No | Use the waste route that actually accepts the bag and its contents |
| Dog-waste compost from a managed system | Separate system only | Use for landscaping/non-food crops, not food crops |
EPA’s home-composting guidance lists both pet waste and cat litter among materials to keep out of a backyard compost pile. It also lists compostable bags and foodservice ware among items to avoid in ordinary home compost because many need different conditions.
Source: U.S. EPA: Composting at Home.
Two Useful Products for a Separate Pet-Waste Routine
These two existing EcoFurball recommendations address different parts of the waste routine. The LEVELEVE stainless-steel scooper is a reusable collection tool for dog waste. Ökocat is a plant-based litter option for cats. Neither product changes the disposal rules: dog waste still needs an approved waste route or a separate managed composting system, and used cat litter should not go into an ordinary backyard compost pile.
LEVELEVE Stainless Steel Dog Pooper Scooper
This reusable rake-and-tray set provides a straightforward way to collect dog waste for a separate disposal or pet-waste composting system without using a new pick-up bag each time. Its long handles allow collection from a standing position, while the metal construction is designed for repeated outdoor use.
- Set: Long-handled rake and collection tray
- Materials: Stainless steel and aluminium
- Best for: Collecting dog waste for a separate disposal or composting system
- Surfaces: Designed for grass, dirt, gravel and concrete
- Care: Non-stick coated surfaces can be rinsed clean after use
- Storage: Three-section poles can be separated or hung when not in use
- Worth checking: Keep the scoop separate from household and food-growing tools, and clean it thoroughly after handling pet waste
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Ökocat Original Natural Wood Clumping Cat Litter
This unscented clumping litter uses natural wood fibre instead of mined clay or silica, providing a plant-based option for cat owners looking to reduce mineral litter waste. The wood fibre is biodegradable and compostable according to the manufacturer, while its absorbent structure forms scoopable clumps for everyday litter-box use.
- Material: Natural wood fibre
- Clumping: Plant-based clumping agent with absorbent wood fibre
- Scent: Unscented with no artificial fragrance
- Dust: Manufacturer states the litter is 99% dust free
- Eco angle: Biodegradable and compostable wood-fibre litter material
- Best for: Cat owners looking for a plant-based alternative to clay or silica litter
- Worth checking: Compostable litter does not make used cat waste suitable for an ordinary garden compost heap. Follow the pet-waste precautions in this article and your local disposal rules
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Can Dog Poop Be Composted?
Yes, but treat dog waste composting as a separate managed process rather than ordinary garden composting. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service guidance describes successful dog-waste composting systems and states that properly composted dog waste can be used as a soil amendment for landscaping and revegetation.
The same USDA publication is explicit about the boundary: do not use dog-waste compost on crops grown for human consumption. That makes ornamental beds, lawns and some landscaping uses very different from vegetable gardens, herbs or fruit-growing areas.
Source: USDA NRCS: Composting Dog Waste.
Why Ordinary Compost Bins Are the Wrong Place for Pet Waste
Backyard compost piles are designed mainly for food scraps and yard materials, not fecal waste from dogs and cats. The problem is not simply that pet poop is unpleasant. Feces can carry bacteria and parasites, and an unmanaged pile may not expose every part of the material to the temperatures, time and conditions needed to reduce pathogens reliably.
Pet waste left on the ground creates a different environmental problem too. EPA notes that stormwater can carry pet-waste bacteria and nutrients into streams, lakes and rivers. Whatever disposal route you choose, picking waste up promptly matters.
Source: EPA: Pet Waste Management.
How to Compost Dog Waste in a Dedicated System
If you decide to compost dog waste, use a dedicated system and follow a tested method rather than relying on a single temperature number. USDA’s dog-waste guide emphasizes the whole process: the right carbon-rich bulking material, moisture, aeration, pile size, temperature monitoring and sufficient time.
- Keep it separate. Do not mix dog waste into the compost you use for vegetable beds or other food-growing areas.
- Add carbon-rich material. Sawdust or another suitable “brown” material helps balance the wet, nitrogen-rich waste and improves structure.
- Manage moisture and air. A waterlogged, compacted pile will not behave like well-managed aerobic compost.
- Monitor the process. Use the temperature/time method in the composting system or published guidance you are following rather than assuming a pile is safe because it felt hot once.
- Allow full curing. Finished compost should be biologically stable, not raw or partly decomposed feces.
- Use it only in appropriate places. Keep it away from crops grown for human consumption.
The older version of this page gave a simple “60°C for several days” rule. That was too simplistic. Safe composting depends on whether all material receives adequate treatment, not just whether one thermometer reading crosses a threshold.
Can You Compost Cat Poop or Used Cat Litter?
For ordinary home composting, keep cat feces and used cat litter out. Even when the litter itself is made from wood, paper, corn or another plant material, contamination with feces changes the disposal question.
CDC explains that infected cats can shed Toxoplasma gondii in their feces and contaminate litter, soil and water. The parasite becomes infectious after time in the environment, which is why CDC recommends removing cat feces from the litter box daily and using careful hygiene.
USDA’s dog-waste composting guide also specifically says its study covered dog waste only and does not recommend adding cat waste or cat litter to compost. That is a stronger basis than trying to distinguish “indoor” from “outdoor” cats or assuming plant-based litter makes the feces safe to compost.
Sources: CDC: Preventing Toxoplasmosis and USDA NRCS dog-waste composting guide.
Does Plant-Based or Compostable Cat Litter Change the Answer?
It changes the litter material, not the biological risk from used cat waste. A wood or paper litter may be biodegradable as a clean material, but once it contains urine and feces it may no longer be accepted by municipal composting systems and should not be treated like ordinary garden waste.
If you are choosing litter for dust, tracking, clumping or material reasons, use our cat litter alternatives comparison. Disposal still needs to follow the local rule for used litter.
Can Compostable Dog Poop Bags Go in a Compost Bin?
Not just because the bag says compostable. EPA’s home-composting guidance lists compostable bags among materials to avoid in a typical backyard compost pile, because many products require conditions that ordinary home systems do not provide.
The contents matter too. A compostable bag full of dog feces still contains dog waste, so the entire item needs a disposal route that accepts both the bag and the waste. If your local service sends pet waste to general trash, a compostable label does not turn that route into composting.
For the terminology itself, see biodegradable vs compostable pet products. This page stays focused on what you should actually do with the waste.
Can Dog Poop or Cat Litter Go in a Green Bin?
Check your local collection rules; do not assume. In the U.S., accepted materials vary by municipality and commercial composter. In the UK, councils also set their own collection rules, and many explicitly exclude dog waste and cat litter from garden-waste or food-waste bins.
For example, North London Waste Authority tells residents to put cat litter in general waste rather than council food or garden-waste collections because urine and feces do not meet its composting acceptance criteria. Other UK councils likewise exclude dog and cat waste from garden-waste bins.
Use the council or waste-provider page for your exact area before choosing a bin. A generic “green bin” answer is unreliable because the color and accepted materials vary.
Example source: North London Waste Authority: Cat litter.
What Is the Best Way to Dispose of Dog Poop at Home?
For most households, the practical answer is simpler than composting: pick it up promptly and use the locally approved waste route. If your municipality directs bagged dog waste to general trash, follow that rule. If you maintain enough dog waste to justify a dedicated composting system and can manage it correctly, that can be a separate option.
A reusable scoop can reduce the number of bags used when collecting waste from your own yard, but you still need somewhere approved to put the collected material. For the broader cleanup routine, see our eco-friendly pet clean-up guide.
Never leave dog waste on soil, pavement or near storm drains because it is “natural.” EPA identifies pet waste as a source of bacteria and nutrient pollution in urban waterways.
Is Composting Pet Waste Worth It?
For a household with one or two pets, it may not be. A dedicated dog-waste system takes space, carbon material, monitoring and a safe place to use the finished compost. Following the local trash route can be the more realistic choice.
For kennels, multi-dog households or people already experienced with managed composting, dog-waste composting can reduce the volume sent for disposal and produce a useful landscaping amendment. USDA’s original dog-waste work was developed in exactly that kind of higher-volume context.
Cat waste is different: because of the additional parasite concern and the lack of equivalent USDA home-compost recommendation, this guide does not recommend composting used cat litter or cat feces.
Final Verdict: Separate Dog-Waste Composting From Ordinary Home Compost
Do not put dog poop, cat poop or used cat litter into the ordinary compost pile you use for food scraps and garden waste. Dog waste can be composted in a dedicated, properly managed system and the finished material can be used for non-food landscaping. Cat feces and used litter are better kept out of home compost because of parasite and handling risks.
If you are mainly trying to reduce waste, choose the correct disposal route first. Compostable packaging, plant-based litter and reusable collection tools can change the materials you use, but they do not override local waste rules or pathogen precautions. Our low-waste pet products guide covers that wider decision.
Composting Pet Waste FAQs
Can you compost pet waste at home?
Do not add dog poop, cat poop or used cat litter to an ordinary backyard compost pile. Dog waste can be composted in a separate, carefully managed system, while this guide recommends keeping cat feces and used litter out of home compost.
Can dog poop be composted?
Yes, in a dedicated managed system. USDA guidance describes dog-waste composting for landscaping uses, but the finished compost should not be used on crops grown for human consumption.
Can cat poop be composted?
This guide does not recommend home composting cat feces. Cats can shed Toxoplasma gondii in feces, and USDA’s dog-waste composting guidance specifically says cat waste and cat litter were not included and should not be added.
Can compostable cat litter go in garden compost?
Used cat litter should not go in ordinary garden compost simply because the litter material is plant-based or compostable. Once contaminated with urine and feces, it needs to follow the appropriate local waste route.
Can compostable dog poop bags go in home compost?
Not automatically. EPA lists compostable bags among materials to avoid in a typical backyard compost pile, and a bag containing dog feces still needs a route that accepts the waste inside it.
Can dog poop go in a green or garden-waste bin?
Rules vary by local authority and waste provider. Many services exclude pet waste from garden-waste or food-waste collections, so check the exact rules for your area rather than relying on the bin color.
Can dog-waste compost be used in a vegetable garden?
No. USDA guidance says properly composted dog waste can be used for landscaping and revegetation but should not be used on crops grown for human consumption.
How should I dispose of dog poop at home?
Pick it up promptly and use the locally approved waste route. For most households that means bagged general trash where local rules require it; a separate managed dog-waste composting system is an option only when you can run it correctly.
Why should pet waste stay out of ordinary compost?
Dog and cat feces can contain bacteria and parasites, and ordinary backyard piles may not expose all material to conditions that reliably reduce pathogens. EPA therefore lists pet waste and cat litter among materials to avoid in home compost.
Is a pet-waste composter worth it?
It can make sense for multi-dog households or people already comfortable managing compost. For smaller households, following the local disposal route may be simpler and safer.
Some graphics used on this page are by Vecteezy (free license with attribution).
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