What You Should Never Dispose of Animal Waste Down the Toilet
What You Should Never Dispose of Animal Waste Down the Toilet
Blog Article
Just how do you actually feel when it comes to Should you flush animal waste down the toilet?
When it comes to throwing away waste, especially animal waste, lots of people often resort to the hassle-free alternative of flushing it down the commode. Nonetheless, this seemingly very easy option can have serious repercussions for the setting and public health. In this article, we'll check out why flushing animal waste down the bathroom is a negative concept and give different techniques for appropriate disposal.
Introduction
Correct waste disposal is crucial for preserving environmental sustainability and public health. While it might seem safe to purge animal waste down the bathroom, it can cause numerous issues, both for the environment and human well-being.
Threats of flushing animal waste
Environmental influence
Flushing animal waste presents unsafe germs and virus right into rivers, which can negatively impact marine ecological communities. These microorganisms can pollute water sources and damage marine life, interfering with fragile environments.
Public health worries
Animal waste contains dangerous bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, which can present significant health threats to people. Flushing pet waste down the bathroom can contaminate water supplies, causing the spread of diseases and infections.
Alternatives to flushing
As opposed to flushing animal waste down the toilet, there are several alternative disposal approaches that are a lot more eco-friendly and sanitary.
Composting
Composting animal waste is an eco-friendly method to take care of it. By composting, organic matter is broken down into nutrient-rich soil, which can be utilized to feed yards and plants.
Landfill disposal
Throwing away animal waste in a land fill is one more option. While not as environmentally friendly as composting, it is a more secure option to flushing, as it avoids the contamination of water resources.
Pet garbage disposal systems
There are specific animal waste disposal systems readily available that securely and hygienically get rid of pet waste. These systems usually use enzymes to break down waste and get rid of smells.
Actions to appropriate animal garbage disposal
To guarantee proper disposal of animal waste, comply with these steps:
Scooping and getting waste
Frequently scoop and bag animal waste making use of eco-friendly bags. This stops waste from infecting the environment.
Using marked waste bins
Dispose of bagged animal waste in designated waste bins, such as compost bins or garbage dump bins. Avoid flushing it down the commode in all prices.
Cleaning up litter boxes and pet dog locations routinely
Regularly clean litter boxes and family pet locations to prevent the accumulation of waste and germs. Usage pet-safe cleaning products to maintain health.
Advantages of proper disposal approaches
Taking on correct disposal approaches for animal waste uses numerous advantages:
Reduced environmental pollution
Proper disposal approaches decrease the threat of environmental pollution, shielding waterways and ecological communities from contamination
Minimized threat of water contamination.
By staying clear of flushing pet waste down the commode, the danger of water contamination is considerably lowered, securing public health.
Improved sanitation and health
Correct disposal approaches promote far better sanitation and health, producing a safer environment for both people and pets.
Verdict
To conclude, flushing animal waste down the toilet is harmful to the setting and public health. By embracing alternative disposal approaches and complying with proper waste administration practices, we can lessen the negative effect of pet waste and contribute to a cleaner, much healthier earth.
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
We hope you enjoyed reading our excerpt on Don't Flush Your Pets Poo Down The Loo, Vet Warns. Thanks so much for taking a few minutes to read our article. If you enjoyed reading our blog post plz remember to share it. Thanks for being here. Return soon.
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