They buy you never touching the waste, at a recurring cost that typically overtakes the price of the machine within about two years — and PetSafe sells a reusable tray that ends the cycle.
This is the clearest cost decision in the whole niche, and it is arithmetic rather than opinion.
What you are buying
A pre-filled tray that goes in the bin whole. No scooping, no washing, no contact.
What it costs
Trays per year multiplied by the pack price, for as long as you own the machine. Work it out before buying the box, because on the ScoopFree system that figure typically exceeds the price of the machine inside two years.
The escape route
PetSafe’s own reusable tray takes the same crystals and is refilled by hand. It costs more once and far less thereafter. The only thing you give up is the part where you never see the litter — which, for many people, was the whole point.
The alternative system
A drum machine with ordinary clumping litter and standard bin liners is the cheapest arrangement in this category by a wide margin. It is also the one that asks the most of you.
Last reviewed 2026-08-17