We've uncovered this great article about Don't Flush Your Pets Poo Down The Loo, Vet Warns down the page on the internet and accepted it made good sense to share it with you on this site.
When it involves disposing of waste, particularly animal waste, many individuals usually resort to the practical alternative of flushing it down the toilet. Nonetheless, this seemingly very easy service can have major consequences for the atmosphere and public health. In this post, we'll explore why flushing animal waste down the toilet is a bad idea and provide alternative methods for proper disposal.
Introduction
Proper waste disposal is essential for maintaining environmental sustainability and public health. While it might appear harmless to purge animal waste down the bathroom, it can cause different issues, both for the environment and human health.
Risks of flushing pet waste
Environmental influence
Flushing pet waste introduces harmful germs and virus right into rivers, which can adversely impact marine ecological communities. These virus can pollute water sources and damage marine life, interrupting fragile communities.
Public health concerns
Pet waste consists of damaging bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, which can posture severe health dangers to humans. Purging pet waste down the commode can pollute water products, resulting in the spread of conditions and infections.
Alternatives to flushing
Rather than purging pet waste down the bathroom, there are several alternate disposal methods that are much more eco-friendly and hygienic.
Composting
Composting animal waste is an eco-friendly method to get rid of it. By composting, raw material is broken down right into nutrient-rich soil, which can be utilized to feed yards and plants.
Land fill disposal
Throwing away animal waste in a garbage dump is an additional alternative. While not as environmentally friendly as composting, it is a safer option to flushing, as it stops the contamination of water resources.
Animal waste disposal systems
There are customized animal waste disposal systems readily available that securely and hygienically dispose of animal waste. These systems often utilize enzymes to break down waste and remove odors.
Actions to proper pet waste disposal
To guarantee appropriate disposal of animal waste, adhere to these steps:
Scooping and getting waste
Frequently scoop and bag animal waste utilizing naturally degradable bags. This prevents waste from polluting the atmosphere.
Making use of designated waste bins
Dispose of bagged animal waste in designated waste containers, such as compost containers or land fill bins. Stay clear of flushing it down the bathroom at all costs.
Cleaning can and family pet areas consistently
Routinely tidy litter boxes and pet locations to prevent the buildup of waste and bacteria. Use pet-safe cleansing products to maintain hygiene.
Advantages of appropriate disposal approaches
Embracing appropriate disposal approaches for pet waste offers several benefits:
Decreased environmental pollution
Proper disposal methods minimize the danger of environmental pollution, shielding waterways and environments from contamination
Minimized danger of water contamination.
By avoiding flushing animal waste down the commode, the risk of water contamination is significantly minimized, safeguarding public health.
Enhanced hygiene and hygiene
Appropriate disposal approaches advertise better cleanliness and hygiene, producing a more secure environment for both humans and animals.
Final thought
In conclusion, flushing animal waste down the bathroom is unsafe to the environment and public health. By adopting alternative disposal techniques and adhering to proper waste management practices, we can minimize the negative impact of animal waste and contribute 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 person who reads about Why you should never flush dog poop down the toilet, I imagined sharing that topic was really useful. So long as you enjoyed our page please don't forget to share it. Many thanks for taking the time to read it.
Website