The Dangers of Animal Waste in the Toilet
The Dangers of Animal Waste in the Toilet
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The content underneath about 10 Things You Should Never Flush Down The Toilet is immensely insightful. Check it out yourself and see what you think of it.
When it concerns dealing with waste, especially animal waste, lots of people usually consider the hassle-free alternative of flushing it down the bathroom. However, this apparently very easy service can have major consequences for the setting and public health. In this post, we'll explore why flushing animal waste down the commode is a bad concept and provide alternate approaches for proper disposal.
Introduction
Proper waste disposal is vital for preserving environmental sustainability and public health. While it may seem safe to purge animal waste down the toilet, it can lead to different concerns, both for the atmosphere and human well-being.
Threats of flushing pet waste
Ecological effect
Purging pet waste introduces harmful bacteria and pathogens right into waterways, which can negatively influence water ecological communities. These microorganisms can contaminate water resources and harm aquatic life, interrupting fragile ecological communities.
Public health worries
Pet waste has dangerous bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, which can present serious health and wellness threats to human beings. Flushing pet waste down the toilet can infect water materials, leading to the spread of diseases and infections.
Alternatives to flushing
Rather than flushing animal waste down the toilet, there are a number of alternate disposal techniques that are a lot more eco-friendly and hygienic.
Composting
Composting pet waste is an environment-friendly method to take care of it. By composting, raw material is broken down right into nutrient-rich dirt, which can be utilized to fertilize gardens and plants.
Landfill disposal
Taking care of pet waste in a landfill is an additional option. While not as eco-friendly as composting, it is a much safer choice to flushing, as it stops the contamination of water resources.
Pet waste disposal systems
There are customized animal waste disposal systems offered that securely and hygienically get rid of animal waste. These systems frequently use enzymes to break down waste and get rid of odors.
Steps to appropriate pet waste disposal
To guarantee correct disposal of pet waste, comply with these actions:
Scooping and nabbing waste
Regularly scoop and bag animal waste using naturally degradable bags. This protects against waste from contaminating the environment.
Utilizing designated waste bins
Dispose of bagged pet waste in marked waste containers, such as compost bins or land fill containers. Avoid flushing it down the bathroom at all expenses.
Cleansing can and pet dog locations on a regular basis
Frequently clean litter boxes and animal areas to stop the buildup of waste and bacteria. Usage pet-safe cleaning items to keep hygiene.
Advantages of correct disposal techniques
Adopting correct disposal approaches for animal waste supplies numerous benefits:
Minimized environmental pollution
Appropriate disposal techniques lower the risk of environmental pollution, safeguarding rivers and ecological communities from contamination
Minimized threat of water contamination.
By avoiding flushing animal waste down the commode, the danger of water contamination is significantly lowered, securing public health.
Boosted sanitation and hygiene
Appropriate disposal techniques promote much better hygiene and health, producing a more secure setting for both human beings and pets.
Verdict
To conclude, flushing animal waste down the commode is hazardous to the environment and public health. By adopting different disposal techniques and following proper waste monitoring methods, we can minimize the adverse effect of pet waste and contribute 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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