Pine vs everything else
Why we picked pine
If you're weighing up a switch, this is the page for it. Four substrates, the honest version of how they stack up — including the columns where pine doesn't win.
| Pine | Clay | Crystals | Recycled paper | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Made from | Renewable timber by-product | Strip-mined clay | Manufactured silica gel | Post-consumer paper |
| Smell control | Natural pine oils | Absorption plus perfume | Very strong | Moderate, fades fast |
| Dust | Low | High | Low, but sharp | Very low |
| Tracking | Low — pellets are too big | High | Moderate | Low |
| Weight to carry | Moderate | Heavy | Light | Light |
| After the tray | Compostable | Landfill, forever | Landfill | Compostable |
| Shelf price | Mid | Low to mid | Premium | Mid |
| Cost per week | Low | Mid | Low, high entry price | Mid to high |
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Clay is mined
Open-cut strip mining, then dried with a lot of heat. A single cat gets through a surprising tonnage of it over a lifetime, and effectively all of it ends up in landfill.
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Pine already exists
It's residue from timber processing that's happening anyway. We're not felling anything — we're using the part that would otherwise be sawdust.
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Cheaper than it looks
Pine costs a bit more on the shelf and less per week, because you use less of it and change the tray less often.