What Not to Flush
Protect your environment
Just because you flush human waste down the toilet doesn't mean sewers are waste disposal units. Sewers are designed to take away wastewater from sinks and baths, as well as toilet paper and human waste flushed down the toilet. But hundreds of people cause blockages in sewers or damage to the environment by putting trash down the toilet. Just because an item is called disposable doesn't mean it is safe to flush. Instead you should bag it and put it in the garbage ... don't flush it!
Avoid drain pain!
Our sewers are not designed to cope with modern disposable products, and as a result these items can cause blockages. The drains connecting your home to the main sewer are only big enough to carry water, toilet paper, and human waste. They are often no wider than four inches. Around 75 percent of blockages involve disposable items. To avoid drain pain and a drain on your finances, remember to bag it and put in the garbage ... don't flush it!
Bag and throw your disposables in the garbage
Disposable products, such as cotton balls, condoms, and plastics can find their way into the environment if they are flushed down the drain. To prevent damage to the environment, the following items should be disposed of in the ways recommended.
• Cotton balls, ladies’ products, bandages, plastics, and dental floss - dispose of these in the garbage along with other household trash.
• Condoms, tampons, and applicators - wrap well and dispose of in the trash.
• Sanitary towels and pads - use the special bags for sanitary protection available from pharmacies.
• Disposable napkins and Handy Wipes - flush any human waste down the toilet but not the Handy Wipe. The wipe should be well wrapped and disposed of in the bin.
• Razors and blades - put these into a rigid container before placing in the bin.
• Medicines - any unwanted or unused medicines should be returned to your local pharmacy for safe disposal. Do not dispose of medicines with other household waste, and remember to keep all medicines out of reach of children.
• Syringes and needles - disposing of these down the toilet or in your household garbage is dangerous and could cause injury to a member of our sewerage team or a refuse collector. To dispose of these safely, please contact your local hospital or health authority who will be able to advise you on the availability of local “needle banks.”