While working on a follow-up flier to management’s email last month about not putting “flushable” wipes down the toilet, I did a web search today for “what to flush and what not to flush.” Every single site agrees that nothing except for toilet paper and human waste should ever go down the toilet.
Since links are a clumsy nuisance on fliers, I figured I’d offer a list here of particularly informative sites on the subject. If anyone is doubting the seriousness of the issue, try reading some of these articles. Or try imagining it being your home that everyone’s sewage is backing up into!
- For interesting info about fatbergs and about how meaningless the term “flushable” is: Green America
- For a comprehensive list of what not to flush, and a brief, informative video tour inside the Portland, Oregon sewer system: Portland’s city website
- For detailed explanations of why certain items should not be flushed and how they should be disposed of: Better Homes & Gardens and/or Wastewater Transport Services
Wastewater Transport Services also offers a list of things not to put down the kitchen drain, regardless of whether or not you have a garbage disposal.
People who menstruate: DO. NOT. FLUSH. TAMPONS. Plumbers call them white mice for good reason. Just adding to the conversation.
Hadn’t heard the “white mice” thing before, LOL. Yeah, years ago the message young women got was that flushing tampons was appropriate. It definitely is NOT. They’re designed to absorb liquid and swell rather than dissolve—that’s just asking for trouble with the plumbing. Even Tampax is emphatic that it’s a no-no. https://tampax.com/en-us/about/sustainability/can-you-flush-tampons/