The regulations governing the disposal of fallen stock and animal by-products in the United Kingdom exist for two primary reasons to protect public health and to protect the natural environment. When animal carcasses are disposed of improperly – whether through unauthorised burial, open burning, or simply leaving them on land without appropriate management – the environmental consequences can be significant, long-lasting, and far-reaching. Martland’s Fallen Stock provides the compliant, environmentally responsible alternative, ensuring that every carcass it collects is processed through the approved system with the minimum possible impact on the surrounding environment.
Groundwater and Soil Contamination
One of the most serious environmental risks associated with improper carcass disposal is the contamination of groundwater and soil. When an animal carcass is buried in the ground, the fluids and decomposition products that leach from it can travel through the soil profile and reach groundwater – including water that may be used as a source of drinking water for people and animals.
The pathogens present in a decomposing carcass – including bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, and in some cases anthrax spores – can survive in groundwater and soil for extended periods. Anthrax spores in particular can persist in soil for decades, creating a long-term contamination risk from a single burial event. Using Martland’s Fallen Stock eliminates this risk, as every collected carcass is transported in sealed, purpose-built vehicles to approved processing facilities where all pathogens are destroyed under controlled conditions.
Watercourse Pollution
Animal carcasses left near watercourses – ditches, streams, rivers, or field drains – present a direct risk of water pollution. Decomposition fluids from a carcass are high in biochemical oxygen demand, meaning that when they reach a watercourse, they can cause significant deoxygenation of the water, resulting in the death of fish, invertebrates, and other aquatic life. This type of watercourse pollution is both an environmental offence and a matter of considerable public concern.
The risk of watercourse pollution from fallen stock is greatest during periods of heavy rainfall, when surface runoff can carry contamination from a carcass or from an inadequately managed storage area into nearby watercourses rapidly. Martland’s Fallen Stock Collection Service provides prompt collection that minimises the duration of on-farm carcass storage and therefore reduces the risk of environmental contamination reaching watercourses.
Wildlife and Scavenger Risks
The attraction of fallen stock to wildlife scavengers – including foxes, crows, rats, and buzzards – creates a chain of environmental risk that extends beyond the immediate vicinity of the carcass. Scavengers that feed on a contaminated carcass can carry pathogens over considerable distances, potentially transmitting disease to other wildlife populations, to livestock on neighbouring farms, and in some cases to domestic animals and people.
By contacting Martland’s Fallen Stock promptly when a fallen animal is discovered, farmers minimise the time during which a carcass is present on the land and therefore reduce the attraction of scavengers to the farm. The Martland’s Fallen Stock collection process is designed to remove carcasses cleanly and efficiently, with full cleaning and documentation provided as part of every visit.
The Environmental Case for Using Martland’s Fallen Stock
The most environmentally responsible approach to fallen stock disposal is to use Martland’s Fallen Stock and ensure that carcasses are processed through the regulated rendering or incineration system. This approach minimises the risk of environmental contamination at every stage of the process – from the hard-standing temporary storage area on farm, through the Martland’s Fallen Stock sealed collection vehicle, to the approved processing facility where carcasses are converted into safe, regulated outputs.
Farmers who take pride in their stewardship of the land and the wider environment have every reason to regard their collection arrangement with Martland’s Fallen Stock as an expression of those values. The regulations exist to protect the environment that farming businesses depend on – clean water, healthy soils, and a functioning ecosystem – and working with Martland’s Fallen Stock is an integral part of responsible land management that reflects well on farming businesses and the agricultural sector as a whole.
Here are some of the other regional areas we cover. Click a link below to find out more:
Lancashire Fallen Stock Collection Service
Greater Manchester Fallen Stock Collection Service
Merseyside Fallen Stock Collection Service
Wirral Fallen Stock Collection Service
North Wales Fallen Stock Collection Service
Cheshire Fallen Stock Collection Service
