Where should the poo go? Why flushing matters for health, learning and the planet

Asking where poo goes might sound like a silly question, but the answer matters more than we often realise. In most households, the default practice is to wrap up nappies (complete with poo) and throw them in the bin. But did you know that this practice isn’t just bad for the environment, it also skips an important learning opportunity for your child?

In this blog, we’ll explore why flushing poo down the toilet is the best practice and how we can begin to normalise this, one flush at a time.

WHY IT MATTERS 

Environmental responsibility

Human waste, including poo, is classed as a biohazard. It’s supposed to be treated in sewage systems, not landfilled or incinerated. When we throw away nappies with poo inside them, we’re effectively treating human waste like general rubbish. This can:

• -Contribute to the spread of disease
• -Release methane and toxins when incinerated
• -Pollute land and water when buried

The World Health Organization says that poo should be disposed of in a sanitary latrine or toilet wherever possible. And as most disposable nappies take around 500 years to decompose, and flushing the poo before binning the nappy is one small way to reduce the biological load in our waste streams.

While used nappies are usually bagged and binned, putting human waste in landfill increases contamination risks for waste handlers and the environment. Even if incinerated, human waste shouldn’t be disposed of this way as it’s not how our sanitation infrastructure is designed to work.

PS: Check out how Pura’s innovative nappy recycling programme is helping save nappies from going straight to landfill here. 

Learning and awareness

Where poo goes and how to flush it away is a key part of the toileting routine that children need to learn. When children see their poo being flushed it reinforces cause-and-effect understanding and teaches your child that poo belongs in the loo!

Many children have not even seen their poo, especially when they are still in the ‘lying down’ stage of nappy changing (PS. once your child can stand up, it’s a good idea to do nappy changes standing up). Children need to understand what poo looks like and learn how to cope with the smell and the potential for mess. These are important skills which are needed for later independent toileting. So, flushing your child’s poo down the toilet can help build this familiarity and prevent natural disgust becoming an overwhelming barrier.

Tips for you at home

If you’re changing nappies at home (whether reusable or disposable) you can help build the flushing habit too:

• -Empty solids into the toilet before wrapping up the nappy.
• -Let your child watch or help flush when appropriate.
• -Talk about what’s happening: “Bye poo! See you tomorrow!”
• -Normalise flushing in books, games and routines. Explaining to your child that poo wants to go down the toilet water-slide is a good way to help your child understand.

All these things will help sets the stage for a smoother transition to toilet use.

Let’s start flushing!

Want to learn more?

As a children’s nurse and researcher, my approach is based on child development science and responsive care. You can find more information, research links, and practical videos at rebeccamottram.com, or follow me on follow me on Instagram or YouTube  for tips, tools, and encouragement.