Your Implications of Flushing Animal Waste Down the Toilet
Your Implications of Flushing Animal Waste Down the Toilet
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Were you in search of advice concerning Should you flush animal waste down the toilet?
When it involves dealing with waste, specifically animal waste, many individuals usually turn to the hassle-free alternative of flushing it down the bathroom. Nevertheless, this relatively easy service can have severe consequences for the environment and public health. In this short article, we'll check out why flushing animal waste down the toilet is a negative idea and offer alternate approaches for appropriate disposal.
Intro
Appropriate waste disposal is crucial for preserving ecological sustainability and public health. While it may seem harmless to flush animal waste down the toilet, it can bring about numerous issues, both for the environment and human wellness.
Dangers of flushing pet waste
Environmental impact
Purging pet waste presents dangerous bacteria and virus right into waterways, which can negatively influence aquatic communities. These microorganisms can pollute water sources and damage aquatic life, interrupting fragile ecological communities.
Public health problems
Animal waste includes damaging bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, which can present significant health and wellness dangers to humans. Flushing pet waste down the bathroom can pollute water products, resulting in the spread of illness and infections.
Alternatives to flushing
Instead of purging animal waste down the toilet, there are a number of alternate disposal techniques that are more environmentally friendly and hygienic.
Composting
Composting pet waste is an environmentally friendly method to get rid of it. By composting, organic matter is broken down into nutrient-rich dirt, which can be made use of to fertilize yards and plants.
Land fill disposal
Throwing away pet waste in a landfill is an additional alternative. While not as environmentally friendly as composting, it is a more secure choice to flushing, as it prevents the contamination of water resources.
Pet dog waste disposal systems
There are specialized animal waste disposal systems readily available that safely and hygienically deal with animal waste. These systems often utilize enzymes to break down waste and eliminate odors.
Actions to proper pet garbage disposal
To ensure appropriate disposal of pet waste, comply with these steps:
Scooping and landing waste
Regularly scoop and bag pet waste using naturally degradable bags. This stops waste from polluting the environment.
Using marked waste bins
Dispose of bagged animal waste in designated waste containers, such as compost bins or landfill bins. Stay clear of flushing it down the bathroom at all prices.
Cleaning up can and pet locations regularly
On a regular basis tidy can and pet locations to avoid the buildup of waste and microorganisms. Usage pet-safe cleaning products to keep hygiene.
Benefits of proper disposal approaches
Taking on appropriate disposal methods for pet waste uses a number of benefits:
Reduced environmental pollution
Appropriate disposal approaches reduce the danger of environmental pollution, shielding rivers and ecosystems from contamination
Decreased danger of water contamination.
By staying clear of flushing animal waste down the commode, the risk of water contamination is dramatically reduced, protecting public health.
Improved hygiene and health
Appropriate disposal approaches promote much better sanitation and hygiene, producing a much safer atmosphere for both human beings and animals.
Verdict
Finally, purging animal waste down the commode is harmful to the environment and public health. By taking on alternate disposal approaches and adhering to appropriate waste management practices, we can reduce the negative effect of pet waste and contribute to a cleaner, 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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