Our Risks of Flushing Animal Waste Down the Toilet
Our Risks of Flushing Animal Waste Down the Toilet
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Nearly everybody will have his or her own opinions with regards to Don't Flush Your Pets Poo Down The Loo, Vet Warns.
When it involves dealing with waste, particularly animal waste, many individuals often consider the convenient alternative of flushing it down the bathroom. However, this seemingly simple option can have major repercussions for the environment and public health. In this write-up, we'll check out why flushing pet waste down the bathroom is a poor idea and supply alternative methods for correct disposal.
Introduction
Proper garbage disposal is crucial for maintaining environmental sustainability and public health. While it might seem harmless to purge animal waste down the toilet, it can cause numerous problems, both for the atmosphere and human well-being.
Risks of flushing pet waste
Environmental influence
Flushing pet waste presents dangerous microorganisms and pathogens into rivers, which can adversely affect aquatic ecosystems. These pathogens can pollute water sources and injury aquatic life, interfering with delicate environments.
Public health worries
Pet waste contains harmful germs such as E. coli and Salmonella, which can pose major wellness dangers to people. Purging animal waste down the toilet can pollute water products, bring about the spread of conditions and infections.
Alternatives to flushing
As opposed to purging animal waste down the bathroom, there are several alternate disposal approaches that are more environmentally friendly and hygienic.
Composting
Composting pet waste is an eco-friendly way to dispose of it. By composting, organic matter is broken down right into nutrient-rich dirt, which can be used to fertilize gardens and plants.
Land fill disposal
Dealing with pet waste in a garbage dump is one more alternative. While not as environmentally friendly as composting, here it is a safer choice to flushing, as it stops the contamination of water sources.
Pet dog garbage disposal systems
There are specific family pet waste disposal systems readily available that securely and hygienically get rid of animal waste. These systems often utilize enzymes to break down waste and get rid of smells.
Actions to correct pet garbage disposal
To make sure appropriate disposal of pet waste, comply with these actions:
Scooping and landing waste
Routinely scoop and bag animal waste making use of eco-friendly bags. This protects against waste from infecting the setting.
Making use of assigned waste bins
Dispose of bagged animal waste in designated waste bins, such as garden compost containers or land fill bins. Avoid flushing it down the bathroom at all expenses.
Cleaning up can and pet areas regularly
Frequently clean can and pet dog locations to avoid the build-up of waste and bacteria. Use pet-safe cleaning products to preserve hygiene.
Advantages of correct disposal techniques
Embracing appropriate disposal approaches for pet waste provides several advantages:
Lowered environmental pollution
Proper disposal methods lower the threat of environmental pollution, securing rivers and ecological communities from contamination
Reduced danger of water contamination.
By avoiding flushing pet waste down the bathroom, the threat of water contamination is substantially reduced, guarding public health.
Boosted cleanliness and health
Appropriate disposal methods advertise better cleanliness and health, creating a more secure setting for both people and pets.
Verdict
Finally, purging animal waste down the toilet is hazardous to the atmosphere and public health. By adopting different disposal approaches and adhering to appropriate waste management techniques, we can lessen the negative effect of pet waste and contribute 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
Frequently clean can and pet dog locations to avoid the build-up of waste and bacteria. Use pet-safe cleaning products to preserve hygiene.
Advantages of correct disposal techniques
Embracing appropriate disposal approaches for pet waste provides several advantages:
Lowered environmental pollution
Proper disposal methods lower the threat of environmental pollution, securing rivers and ecological communities from contamination
Reduced danger of water contamination.
By avoiding flushing pet waste down the bathroom, the threat of water contamination is substantially reduced, guarding public health.
Boosted cleanliness and health
Appropriate disposal methods advertise better cleanliness and health, creating a more secure setting for both people and pets.
Verdict
Finally, purging animal waste down the toilet is hazardous to the atmosphere and public health. By adopting different disposal approaches and adhering to appropriate waste management techniques, we can lessen the negative effect of pet waste and contribute 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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