Discovering Why Animal Waste Should Not Be Flushed Down the Toilet
Discovering Why Animal Waste Should Not Be Flushed Down the Toilet
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What're your beliefs about Should you flush animal waste down the toilet?
When it involves disposing of waste, especially animal waste, many people frequently consider the practical choice of flushing it down the bathroom. Nonetheless, this apparently very easy service can have major repercussions for the environment and public health. In this article, we'll check out why flushing pet waste down the toilet is a bad concept and supply alternative approaches for correct disposal.
Introduction
Correct garbage disposal is important for keeping ecological sustainability and public health. While it might appear harmless to flush animal waste down the bathroom, it can result in different issues, both for the atmosphere and human health.
Dangers of flushing pet waste
Ecological effect
Purging animal waste presents harmful germs and pathogens right into rivers, which can adversely influence marine ecological communities. These pathogens can infect water sources and harm marine life, interrupting delicate ecological communities.
Public health problems
Pet waste contains dangerous microorganisms such as E. coli and Salmonella, which can present serious health risks to human beings. Flushing pet waste down the commode can pollute water products, causing the spread of diseases and infections.
Alternatives to flushing
Rather than purging animal waste down the commode, there are several alternative disposal techniques that are extra eco-friendly and sanitary.
Composting
Composting pet waste is an environmentally friendly way to take care of it. By composting, organic matter is broken down right into nutrient-rich dirt, which can be utilized to fertilize gardens and plants.
Garbage dump disposal
Disposing of pet waste in a land fill is another choice. While not as environmentally friendly as composting, it is a much safer alternative to flushing, as it avoids the contamination of water sources.
Animal waste disposal systems
There are specialized pet garbage disposal systems offered that safely and hygienically dispose of pet waste. These systems typically use enzymes to break down waste and get rid of odors.
Steps to proper animal waste disposal
To make certain correct disposal of pet waste, adhere to these steps:
Scooping and nabbing waste
Regularly scoop and bag animal waste making use of naturally degradable bags. This protects against waste from infecting the atmosphere.
Using marked waste containers
Dispose of bagged pet waste in assigned waste containers, such as compost bins or garbage dump containers. Prevent flushing it down the toilet in any way costs.
Cleaning up can and family pet areas frequently
Routinely tidy litter boxes and pet dog areas to avoid the accumulation of waste and microorganisms. Use pet-safe cleansing items to maintain hygiene.
Benefits of appropriate disposal techniques
Adopting proper disposal methods for animal waste offers several advantages:
Minimized environmental pollution
Appropriate disposal methods minimize the danger of environmental pollution, securing rivers and communities from contamination
Reduced danger of water contamination.
By avoiding flushing pet waste down the toilet, the risk of water contamination is significantly lowered, securing public health.
Enhanced sanitation and hygiene
Appropriate disposal techniques advertise better sanitation and hygiene, producing a more secure environment for both humans and pets.
Conclusion
To conclude, purging pet waste down the commode is dangerous to the atmosphere and public health. By adopting different disposal approaches and following appropriate waste administration methods, we can decrease the negative influence of animal waste and add to a cleaner, healthier world.
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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