What You Need to Never Dispose of Animal Waste Down the Toilet
What You Need to Never Dispose of Animal Waste Down the Toilet
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How do you really feel about Don't Flush Your Pets Poo Down The Loo, Vet Warns?
When it involves getting rid of waste, specifically animal waste, lots of people often resort to the convenient choice of flushing it down the bathroom. However, this seemingly simple option can have major repercussions for the atmosphere and public health. In this article, we'll check out why flushing pet waste down the toilet is a poor idea and give alternate approaches for correct disposal.
Introduction
Appropriate waste disposal is vital for maintaining environmental sustainability and public health. While it may seem harmless to flush animal waste down the bathroom, it can result in various concerns, both for the environment and human health.
Dangers of flushing pet waste
Environmental effect
Flushing pet waste introduces dangerous bacteria and microorganisms right into waterways, which can negatively impact marine ecosystems. These pathogens can infect water sources and injury marine life, interfering with delicate ecosystems.
Public health concerns
Animal waste has harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, which can posture major wellness threats to humans. Flushing animal waste down the commode can contaminate water supplies, resulting in the spread of illness and infections.
Alternatives to flushing
As opposed to purging animal waste down the bathroom, there are a number of alternative disposal methods that are much more environmentally friendly and sanitary.
Composting
Composting animal waste is an environmentally friendly way to throw away it. By composting, organic matter is broken down right into nutrient-rich soil, which can be made use of to fertilize yards and plants.
Landfill disposal
Throwing away animal waste in a land fill is an additional choice. While not as eco-friendly as composting, it is a safer option to flushing, as it avoids the contamination of water sources.
Animal garbage disposal systems
There are specialized family pet garbage disposal systems readily available that securely and hygienically get rid of pet waste. These systems typically use enzymes to break down waste and remove odors.
Actions to appropriate pet waste disposal
To make sure appropriate disposal of pet waste, comply with these steps:
Scooping and nabbing waste
Regularly scoop and bag pet waste utilizing naturally degradable bags. This prevents waste from contaminating the setting.
Using marked waste bins
Dispose of bagged animal waste in assigned waste containers, such as compost bins or garbage dump containers. Avoid flushing it down the toilet in all costs.
Cleansing litter boxes and pet dog locations consistently
Frequently clean litter boxes and pet areas to prevent the accumulation of waste and bacteria. Use pet-safe cleaning products to preserve health.
Advantages of proper disposal techniques
Taking on appropriate disposal approaches for pet waste uses a number of benefits:
Minimized environmental pollution
Appropriate disposal methods lower the danger of environmental pollution, securing waterways and communities from contamination
Minimized threat of water contamination.
By preventing flushing pet waste down the toilet, the risk of water contamination is substantially reduced, guarding public health.
Enhanced hygiene and health
Proper disposal techniques promote much better cleanliness and health, producing a much safer atmosphere for both human beings and pets.
Verdict
To conclude, flushing pet waste down the commode is unsafe to the setting and public health. By taking on alternate disposal methods and following appropriate waste management methods, we can minimize the adverse impact of animal waste and add to a cleaner, much healthier planet.
Can You Flush Dog and Cat Poo Down the Toilet?
Cat poo often contains a highly resistant parasite called Toxoplasma that can infect people and animals. Many municipal water treatments do not have equipment or processes to kill it (as they're designed for humans who don't poop this parasite!) meaning it would pass into our waterways, posing a risk to humans and animals alike. It can even prove fatal for some wildlife.
Many studies have shown that so called biodegradable and 'flushable' products, including flushable poo bags, don't actually disintegrate as claimed. This is primarily because they're designed to biodegrade in warm water, not cold water, like that in our toilets. In fact, 'flushable' poo bags have historically caused $8 million in blockages in Australia so it's not recommended to try flushing these bags, despite what they claim! The same goes for cat litter. Our old sewage systems are only designed for the 3 P's - Pee, Poo and Paper and can easily get blocked if anything else is thrown in.
So what about dog poo (without the bags)?
Again, dog poo is considerably different to human poo. It contains twice the harmful bacteria and viruses and also contains unique parasites. One particular parasite, Toxocara, is highly resistant to high temperatures. Our water treatment facilities are not designed to deal with dog poo pathogens such as this so there's a chance that they will pass through and contaminate our waterways if flushed down the toilet. Toxocara can also infect humans, causing blindness in children and infect animals so presents a public health risk. This is why many waste water treatment plants advise against flushing any type of pet poo down the toilet, due to the extra pathogens it contains.
Dog and cat poo can also contain medicines, such as parasite treatments, which can be highly toxic to aquatic life and may threaten the stability of entire ecosystems. Medicines are much trickier to clean from sewage and will likely pass unchanged into our waterways.
Scalability
There's also the question of whether flushing pet waste could really ever be a viable widespread solution. Could our old sewage systems really cope with the additional faeces of 12 million dogs and 10 million cats if everyone starting flushing their pet's poo? It's unlikely!
We contacted Wessex Water and South West Water on the matter of flushing pet poo and both gave different answers. The former advised it was safe to do so, while the latter strongly advised against it! This may be due to their different treatment processes which can vary depending on location. However both water companies agreed that you should never flush any 'flushable' products down the toilet, even if they claim to be safe to flush as in real world this just simply isn't the case and they often cause costly blockages. They emphasised that only the three P's - Poo, Paper and Pee should ever be flushed down the toilet.
Conclusion
In summary, never flush biodegradable or 'flushable' poo bags or cat litter down the toilet. We also feel it's safer to avoid flushing cat and dog faeces, due to it's pathogenic content, the unknown risks of parasite treatments and medicines on wildlife and the wider environment and due to the inconsistent advice. Dog poo may be disposed in a well managed compost or wormery, rather than down the toilet. If you are still really keen to flush pet poo, make sure you speak to your local water treatment plant before you do so, as they may or may not have the treatments to safely process it.
If you dispose of your pet's waste in general waste then ensure to do so in the most eco-friendly way by using recycled poo bags such as Award Winning ReSEAcled poo bags. Experts advice it's better to re-use waste that was already destined for landfill or incineration rather than using poo bags made form virgin materials because this helps reduce plastic production, reduce plastic pollution and cuts carbon emissions and energy use. ReSEAcled poo bags are also the world's first Plastic Negative poo bags, removing 5 times as much plastic from the environment than they use! Click here to learn more.
https://petimpact.co.uk/blogs/poo-revolution/can-you-flush-pet-poo-down-the-toilet
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