Research Outline

Cat Litter Packaging - Materials and Design

Goals

To evaluate the global market for cat litter packaging and analyze what is available with regards to materials, packaging options, and packaging features, as well as new product launches and sales. This information will be used in the development of premium cat litter packaging.

Early Findings

Global Market

  • Preliminary research shows that there is not much publicly available information regarding details of the global cat litter market. Some information appears to be available through paywalled sources that have conducted market research in this area. This information is available for purchase through multiple market research companies including Mordor Intelligence, Grand View Research and others. There is also a report on Pet Product Packaging Innovation from Packaged Facts that may include more detailed information specific to packaging.

Cat Litter Packaging Options

  • There is a wide variety of packaging options available in the cat litter market. These options include very simple traditional bags, recyclable jugs with screw on lids and handles, and bags that are specifically designed to stand up on their own.
  • Purina, a large provider of pet food and supplies, offers cat litter in a variety of packaging options. Tidy Cats cat litter is available in either bags or jugs.
  • Bagged offerings from Purina come in 10lb quantities packaged in reinforced paper bags, or in larger quantities of 20-50lbs packaged in polypropylene Dura Weave Bags.
  • Purina also offers cat litter in recyclable and plastic containers: 14-20lb quantities come in plastic jugs with a screw-top lid and an easy-to-hold handle, while larger 27-35lbs quantities come in recyclable plastic pails which have a large snap-on lid, and a bucket handle.
  • Fresh Step, a large provider of cat litter, has recently updated its packaging to focus on flexible packaging that stands up on its own. The cat litter comes in a side-gusseted and resealable bag that will stand up on shelves to offer greater visibility and better shelf impact. This packaging also has the advantage of significantly reducing product packaging weight, reducing weight by 77% compared to the plastic pails that were previously used for large quantities of cat litter.
  • The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) has also recently published a report on the sustainability of this type of flexible, stand-up packaging. The report shows that the production of this type of packaging requires significantly less water than is used in the production of paper or plastic-pail packaging, and that it is significantly lighter than plastic pails, while still being able to hold up to large quantities of cat litter.
  • The FPA also found that manufacturing this type of packaging requires less materials and less fossil fuel consumption than plastic pail packaging.