6 things you should NEVER flush down the toilet
Sometimes we have the mistaken belief that our daily actions can have little or no effect on the health of our beautiful planet, but it is not like that at all!
Take the normal action of flushing the toilet --- do you know how much pollution can be created by putting the wrong materials into the sewage? Moreover, did you know that millions of public and private funds are spent every year to unclog sewer pipes?
All it would take is to make the public more aware of this problem by providing information and public service announcements about what can and cannot be flushed in toilets.
In general, only body waste and normal toilet paper should be flushed down a toilet bowl. In addition, and above all, we should all avoid flushing the following 6 objects shown here below.
1. Wet wipes
Many, too many people consider them to be similar to paper, and yet they are not at all! These wipes (except those that are biodegradable) contain plastic and cause huge environmental damage as well as a high number of blockages in the pipes (In the UK alone 100 million pounds are spent annually to correct the damage caused by wet wipes).
2. Cooking oil
Waste oil or oil used for frying food should never be thrown into the toilet or sink, but collected in a bottle and taken to an ecological island (each municipality gives precise information about locations). In addition to being harmful to sewer pipes (once solidified, it is difficult to remove), it is catastrophic for the environment. In fact, if it ends up in an aquifer from which groundwater is extracted, a single quart (one liter) of oil would make one million quarts (264,172 gallons) or one million liters of water no longer drinkable.
3. Cat litter
Many mistakenly consider cat litter to be a natural product, but it is not! Common cat litter is actually a non-biodegradable artificial product, so it should never be thrown into the toilet. The best thing is to collect it and throw it into an undifferentiated trash bin. The discourse for biodegradable litter is different because it can be thrown into the toilet, but in small quantities and gradually, so as to avoid blocking the sewage pipes.
4. Diapers
Yes, even if it seems absurd, there are those who flush disposable baby diapers in the toilet. This not only creates enormous damage to the environment but also to the sewer pipes. In addition to the plastic material, these diapers often contain an absorbent gel, which swells in contact with water.
5. Coffee grounds
Although many think exactly the opposite, coffee grounds are bitter enemies of sewer pipes! Better to find alternative methods of disposal, for example, coffee grounds can also be used as plant fertilizer ...
6. Q-tips aka cotton swabs
Q-tips aka cotton swabs and makeup removal disks or pads are extremely dangerous for sewer pipes and for the environment. Their composition seems to be made to allow them to partially dissolve and create huge, shapeless masses that have been known to roam and wander in the sewer system for decades.
Let's spread these golden rules as much as possible ... Every little action can be fundamental in helping to preserve our planet! :-)
