How Flushing Animal Waste Down the Toilet Can be Harmful
How Flushing Animal Waste Down the Toilet Can be Harmful
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When it concerns taking care of waste, particularly animal waste, many people typically consider the convenient alternative of flushing it down the bathroom. However, this seemingly simple solution can have significant effects for the atmosphere and public health. In this article, we'll discover why flushing pet waste down the commode is a negative idea and supply alternative approaches for appropriate disposal.
Intro
Appropriate garbage disposal is important for maintaining environmental sustainability and public health. While it might seem harmless to purge animal waste down the toilet, it can result in various concerns, both for the setting and human wellness.
Threats of flushing pet waste
Ecological influence
Flushing animal waste introduces hazardous germs and pathogens right into waterways, which can adversely impact water ecosystems. These virus can contaminate water resources and harm aquatic life, interrupting delicate ecosystems.
Public health worries
Animal waste contains unsafe bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, which can present severe health risks to humans. Flushing animal waste down the commode can infect water supplies, bring about the spread of illness and infections.
Alternatives to flushing
Instead of flushing pet waste down the toilet, there are a number of different disposal methods that are much more environmentally friendly and hygienic.
Composting
Composting pet waste is an environmentally friendly way to take care of it. By composting, raw material is broken down right into nutrient-rich dirt, which can be made use of to feed yards and plants.
Land fill disposal
Throwing away pet waste in a land fill is one more option. While not as eco-friendly as composting, it is a much safer choice to flushing, as it stops the contamination of water sources.
Animal garbage disposal systems
There are specialized family pet garbage disposal systems available that securely and hygienically dispose of animal waste. These systems usually utilize enzymes to break down waste and eliminate smells.
Steps to proper animal garbage disposal
To ensure appropriate disposal of pet waste, adhere to these actions:
Scooping and landing waste
Routinely scoop and bag animal waste making use of biodegradable bags. This avoids waste from contaminating the atmosphere.
Using marked waste bins
Dispose of bagged animal waste in designated waste bins, such as garden compost containers or garbage dump containers. Stay clear of flushing it down the bathroom at all expenses.
Cleansing litter boxes and family pet locations on a regular basis
On a regular basis tidy can and pet dog locations to prevent the build-up of waste and bacteria. Usage pet-safe cleansing items to maintain hygiene.
Advantages of appropriate disposal techniques
Embracing correct disposal approaches for animal waste supplies a number of advantages:
Decreased environmental pollution
Correct disposal methods reduce the threat of environmental pollution, protecting waterways and ecological communities from contamination
Reduced risk of water contamination.
By avoiding flushing pet waste down the bathroom, the danger of water contamination is dramatically reduced, protecting public health.
Enhanced sanitation and hygiene
Correct disposal approaches promote much better sanitation and hygiene, producing a safer environment for both human beings and pets.
Conclusion
In conclusion, flushing pet waste down the toilet is unsafe to the environment and public health. By taking on alternate disposal approaches and adhering to appropriate waste administration methods, we can reduce the negative effect 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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