The Significance of Not Disposing of Animal Waste Down the Toilet
The Significance of Not Disposing of Animal Waste Down the Toilet
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What are your thoughts about Don't Flush Your Pets Poo Down The Loo, Vet Warns?
When it concerns dealing with waste, specifically animal waste, lots of people frequently consider the convenient alternative of flushing it down the toilet. Nevertheless, this relatively simple service can have major effects for the atmosphere and public health. In this write-up, we'll explore why flushing pet waste down the bathroom is a poor concept and offer alternate methods for correct disposal.
Introduction
Appropriate waste disposal is important for preserving ecological sustainability and public health. While it might seem harmless to flush animal waste down the bathroom, it can lead to numerous concerns, both for the setting and human well-being.
Dangers of flushing pet waste
Environmental effect
Flushing animal waste presents harmful germs and microorganisms into waterways, which can negatively influence marine ecosystems. These microorganisms can pollute water sources and damage aquatic life, interfering with delicate environments.
Public health issues
Pet waste contains dangerous bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, which can pose serious health and wellness dangers to people. Purging pet waste down the toilet can infect water supplies, causing the spread of conditions and infections.
Alternatives to flushing
Instead of flushing animal waste down the commode, there are numerous alternative disposal methods that are more eco-friendly and sanitary.
Composting
Composting pet waste is an eco-friendly method to take care of it. By composting, raw material is broken down into nutrient-rich dirt, which can be utilized to fertilize gardens and plants.
Garbage dump disposal
Getting rid of pet waste in a land fill is another choice. While not as environmentally friendly as composting, it is a more secure option to flushing, as it stops the contamination of water sources.
Pet garbage disposal systems
There are customized animal garbage disposal systems available that safely and hygienically throw away pet waste. These systems often use enzymes to break down waste and get rid of smells.
Actions to correct animal garbage disposal
To make certain proper disposal of animal waste, adhere to these actions:
Scooping and getting waste
Consistently scoop and bag pet waste utilizing naturally degradable bags. This protects against waste from contaminating the environment.
Utilizing assigned waste bins
Dispose of bagged pet waste in marked waste bins, such as garden compost containers or garbage dump containers. Avoid flushing it down the bathroom in any way prices.
Cleaning litter boxes and pet areas regularly
Routinely clean can and pet dog locations to stop the buildup of waste and microorganisms. Usage pet-safe cleaning items to preserve health.
Advantages of correct disposal techniques
Taking on correct disposal techniques for pet waste provides a number of benefits:
Lowered environmental pollution
Proper disposal techniques reduce the threat of environmental pollution, safeguarding rivers and ecosystems from contamination
Lessened threat of water contamination.
By staying clear of flushing pet waste down the toilet, the risk of water contamination is dramatically reduced, protecting public health.
Boosted sanitation and health
Proper disposal methods advertise better cleanliness and hygiene, producing a safer atmosphere for both humans and pets.
Final thought
Finally, flushing pet waste down the bathroom is unsafe to the environment and public health. By adopting alternate disposal techniques and adhering to correct waste monitoring techniques, we can minimize the negative influence of pet waste and add 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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