Think Before You Flush were delighted to be part of the Maharees Conservation Association marine themed float for the parade during this summer’s Castlegregory Summer Festival.
The Think Before You Flush campaign is a public awareness campaign run by Clean Coasts in partnership with Uisce Éireann. The main message of the campaign is simple, only flush the 3Ps -pee, poo and paper – throw all other waste in the bin. Flushing unsuitable items down the toilet can result in blockages, Uisce Éireann clears approximately 200 blockages in the wastewater network every week. Or it can result in the possibility of sewage related litter, such as wipes, cotton buds, hair and dental floss ending up in our waterways and on our beautiful beaches, of which Kerry boasts many. This litter can impact the marine life that inhabits the waterways.
Speaking about festival and the Think Before You Flush campaign, Anna Brosnan, Wastewater Operations Lead for Uisce Éireann in Kerry said: “It is great to see communities in the Kingdom going the extra mile to raise awareness and help protect the environment, and I would like to commend The Maharees Conservation Group. We know from our research that attitudes and flushing behaviours are changing for the better but there is still work to do. Almost a million people nationally are still using the toilet as a bin; this includes more than 30,000 in Kerry. We are asking people to always Think Before You Flush and take a simple action such as putting a bin in the bathroom. Uisce Éireann is focused on improving the local environment for the benefit of all.”
Speaking about the event, Elaine Doyle from Clean Coasts said: “It was wonderful to see Maharees Conservation Association don a marine litter and Think Before You Flush theme for their float for the fancy-dress parade during the Castlegregory Summer Festival. While this campaign has a serious message it is always beneficial to promote important messaging in a fun way, and a colourful summer parade is a great way to do it.”
Martha Farrell an MTU lecturer, Director of the Maharees Conservation Association CLG & secretary of Tralee Tidy Towns was part of the parade and said: “Maharees Conservation Association was delighted to highlight the Think Before You Flush campaign in the Castlegregory Summer Festival parade. Our members, with the support of Clean Coasts and Kerry County Council, engage in beach cleans along the entire coast of the Maharees and regularly find flushed waste such as wipes and sanitary products which have found their way on to our beaches.”
The parade was full of colour and fun and attended by all ages. Learning about and protecting the environment can be fun. Always think before your flush and put a smile on everyone’s face and on the face of the world.
What Can We Do?
Join the campaign on social media @CleanCoasts and at www.cleancoasts.org. Learn more about the Think Before You Flush campaign at https://thinkbeforeyouflush.org/