How to Properly Dispose of Used Animal Bedding and Maintain a Clean Living Environment

Buying eco-friendly animal bedding materials is just the first step in becoming more sustainable. In order to ensure your choice of animal bedding has a small impact on the environment, you should know the dos and don’ts of animal bedding disposal. While some materials are biodegradable and can be thrown on a compost pile, others can not. It’s important as a responsible pet or large animal owner to know the difference, and follow the right practices in order to limit any damage to the environment.

Composting Used Animal Bedding

Some animal bedding can be composted, if the material is biodegradable, such as:

• Straw
• Shredded paper
• Wood shavings
• Hemp bedding
• Coconut coir
• Corn cob bedding
• Pine pellets
• Hay

However, if animal bedding has been used by any meat-eating animals, it can not be used for compost. This is due to the harmful bacteria that may be living in the material if the bedding has become soiled by animal faeces. Unfortunately, a lot of animal bedding, once used, can become soiled, so it’s important to follow the right steps when handling contaminated materials.

Any biodegradable animals bedding materials that have been used by vegetarian animals, such as rabbits, cows, horses etc. can be placed on the compost heap. It will slowly degrade, leaving little impact on the environment.

Dos and Don’ts

• DO Add fertiliser to your compost to encourage the degradation of the animal bedding material. This is particularly important for products such as wood shavings that take 1-2 years to decompose
• DO NOT compost contaminated materials that have been used by meat eating animals such as pigs
• DO research your animal bedding material before composting
• DO used decomposed animal bedding as mulch in your garden*
• DO NOT recycle animal bedding materials or animal waste, unless informed otherwise by a recycling centre

Recycling Old Animal Bedding

Consult your local council to determine if wood shavings or other biodegradable animal bedding materials from vegetarian animals can be disposed of in your garden waste bin or at a recycling centre. Exercise caution when recycling materials used as animal bedding, as they may be contaminated. Each local authority offers specific guidelines on the recycling of wood waste products and wood shavings, so be sure to refer to their advice

*Using Wood Shavings as Mulch

You can use wood shavings as mulch in your garden. Sawdust mulch helps keep weeds out and breaks down over time. However, shavings from woods like cedar and walnut can release chemicals harmful to plants. It's important to know your garden plants and ensure they aren't sensitive to certain woods. Also, consider the source of the wood shavings and whether they contain chemicals.