When Flushing Animal Waste Down the Toilet May be Harmful
When Flushing Animal Waste Down the Toilet May be Harmful
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When it pertains to dealing with waste, particularly animal waste, many individuals typically consider the hassle-free choice of flushing it down the toilet. Nonetheless, this seemingly simple option can have severe repercussions for the atmosphere and public health. In this post, we'll discover why flushing pet waste down the commode is a bad concept and supply alternative methods for appropriate disposal.
Intro
Correct garbage disposal is important for keeping ecological sustainability and public health. While it might seem harmless to flush animal waste down the toilet, it can cause different concerns, both for the atmosphere and human wellness.
Threats of flushing animal waste
Environmental effect
Purging pet waste introduces damaging germs and microorganisms right into rivers, which can adversely affect water environments. These pathogens can contaminate water sources and injury marine life, interrupting delicate ecosystems.
Public health problems
Pet waste includes damaging germs such as E. coli and Salmonella, which can present serious wellness risks to people. Flushing pet waste down the toilet can pollute water products, bring about the spread of illness and infections.
Alternatives to flushing
Rather than purging pet waste down the commode, there are a number of alternative disposal methods that are extra eco-friendly and hygienic.
Composting
Composting animal waste is an environmentally friendly method to dispose of it. By composting, organic matter is broken down into nutrient-rich soil, which can be made use of to fertilize gardens and plants.
Land fill disposal
Dealing with pet waste in a landfill is another choice. While not as eco-friendly as composting, it is a much safer alternative to flushing, as it protects against the contamination of water resources.
Pet waste disposal systems
There are specialized animal waste disposal systems offered that safely and hygienically dispose of animal waste. These systems usually use enzymes to break down waste and get rid of smells.
Actions to proper animal waste disposal
To guarantee proper disposal of animal waste, follow these steps:
Scooping and bagging waste
Consistently scoop and bag animal waste using eco-friendly bags. This protects against waste from infecting the setting.
Making use of assigned waste containers
Dispose of bagged animal waste in assigned waste bins, such as garden compost bins or landfill bins. Stay clear of flushing it down the commode in any way prices.
Cleaning can and pet locations consistently
On a regular basis tidy litter boxes and pet locations to avoid the build-up of waste and microorganisms. Usage pet-safe cleaning items to keep hygiene.
Advantages of correct disposal techniques
Adopting proper disposal approaches for animal waste provides a number of advantages:
Reduced environmental pollution
Correct disposal techniques minimize the threat of environmental pollution, securing rivers and environments from contamination
Decreased threat of water contamination.
By preventing flushing pet waste down the commode, the threat of water contamination is considerably reduced, safeguarding public health.
Improved cleanliness and health
Appropriate disposal methods advertise much better hygiene and health, developing a safer environment for both humans and pets.
Conclusion
To conclude, purging pet waste down the bathroom is unsafe to the setting and public health. By embracing alternative disposal approaches and adhering to proper waste administration methods, we can reduce the unfavorable influence of pet waste and add to a cleaner, 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
On a regular basis tidy litter boxes and pet locations to avoid the build-up of waste and microorganisms. Usage pet-safe cleaning items to keep hygiene.
Advantages of correct disposal techniques
Adopting proper disposal approaches for animal waste provides a number of advantages:
Reduced environmental pollution
Correct disposal techniques minimize the threat of environmental pollution, securing rivers and environments from contamination
Decreased threat of water contamination.
By preventing flushing pet waste down the commode, the threat of water contamination is considerably reduced, safeguarding public health.
Improved cleanliness and health
Appropriate disposal methods advertise much better hygiene and health, developing a safer environment for both humans and pets.
Conclusion
To conclude, purging pet waste down the bathroom is unsafe to the setting and public health. By embracing alternative disposal approaches and adhering to proper waste administration methods, we can reduce the unfavorable influence of pet waste and add to a cleaner, 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
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