The Risks of Animal Waste in the Toilet
The Risks of Animal Waste in the Toilet
Blog Article
On this page underneath you can locate more quality material in regards to Can You Flush Dog and Cat Poo Down the Toilet?.
When it comes to getting rid of waste, particularly animal waste, many people frequently consider the hassle-free option of flushing it down the commode. Nonetheless, this seemingly very easy remedy can have serious consequences for the environment and public health. In this write-up, we'll discover why flushing pet waste down the commode is a poor concept and supply alternate techniques for appropriate disposal.
Introduction
Proper waste disposal is crucial for maintaining environmental sustainability and public health. While it might seem harmless to flush animal waste down the bathroom, it can result in various problems, both for the atmosphere and human health.
Risks of flushing pet waste
Environmental impact
Flushing animal waste presents unsafe microorganisms and microorganisms right into rivers, which can negatively affect aquatic ecosystems. These pathogens can infect water resources and injury marine life, interfering with delicate communities.
Public health issues
Animal waste consists of harmful microorganisms such as E. coli and Salmonella, which can posture severe health and wellness threats to people. Flushing animal waste down the toilet can infect water supplies, resulting in the spread of conditions and infections.
Alternatives to flushing
Instead of purging pet waste down the commode, there are numerous alternative disposal approaches that are much more environmentally friendly and hygienic.
Composting
Composting pet waste is an environmentally friendly method to take care of it. By composting, organic matter is broken down right into nutrient-rich soil, which can be used to fertilize yards and plants.
Landfill disposal
Disposing of pet waste in a land fill is one more choice. While not as eco-friendly as composting, it is a much safer choice to flushing, as it avoids the contamination of water sources.
Family pet waste disposal systems
There are customized animal waste disposal systems available that securely and hygienically get rid of pet waste. These systems often utilize enzymes to break down waste and eliminate smells.
Actions to appropriate pet garbage disposal
To guarantee proper disposal of pet waste, adhere to these steps:
Scooping and nabbing waste
Routinely scoop and bag pet waste using naturally degradable bags. This protects against waste from polluting the setting.
Utilizing assigned waste bins
Dispose of bagged pet waste in designated waste bins, such as garden compost containers or garbage dump bins. Prevent flushing it down the bathroom whatsoever expenses.
Cleansing litter boxes and pet dog locations consistently
On a regular basis tidy can and animal areas to stop the build-up of waste and bacteria. Use pet-safe cleaning items to maintain hygiene.
Benefits of proper disposal approaches
Adopting appropriate disposal techniques for animal waste offers numerous benefits:
Decreased environmental pollution
Appropriate disposal methods reduce the risk of environmental pollution, protecting rivers and communities from contamination
Minimized threat of water contamination.
By preventing flushing animal waste down the toilet, the danger of water contamination is considerably reduced, safeguarding public health.
Enhanced hygiene and health
Proper disposal methods promote far better cleanliness and hygiene, developing a safer atmosphere for both people and animals.
Final thought
Finally, flushing animal waste down the toilet is damaging to the environment and public health. By embracing different disposal techniques and complying with correct waste monitoring methods, we can decrease the negative effect of pet waste and add to a cleaner, much 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
As a serious reader on Don't Flush Your Pets Poo Down The Loo, Vet Warns, I think sharing that excerpt was a good thing. In case you enjoyed reading our blog entry kindly consider to share it. I cherish your readership.
Call Report this page