Think Before You Flush, a campaign operated by Clean Coasts in partnership with Uisce Éireann, headed to St. Colmcille Junior National School, Ballybrack, to discuss the environmental issues of marine pollution and sewage-related litter. During the workshop the class of senior infant students learnt all about the importance of only flushing the 3 P’s down the toilet – that’s pee, poo and toilet paper. After the classroom session the children visited their local river at Killbogget park, to conduct a clean-up of the area and keep an eye out for any sewage-related litter. Following this, Liane Costello, Clean Coasts Biodiversity Officer, conducted a wet wipe experiment and supported a discussion on how best we can protect Irelands marine environments. The activities concluded with a request that all of the children help spread the campaign message throughout the community.
Think Before You Flush addresses the issue of flushing unsuitable items down the toilet and highlights the consequences of doing so, such as blockages in our wastewater network and treatment plants, sewage overflows and litter polluting our waterways, beaches and coastal waters. Many toiletries, such as wet wipes, cotton pads and dental floss, are part of the ‘Dirty Dozen’, which are the top 12 items that are incorrectly flushed down the toilet in Ireland. Other items include hair; paper towels; medicine; tampons; food items; contact lenses; condoms; cigarette butts; and cotton bud sticks.
There is no denying these items are incredibly useful. Many people love the convenience of disposable wet wipes, facial pads and dental floss but are unaware of the problems associated with these items when inappropriately flushed down the toilet. Unlike toilet paper, which is designed to disintegrate quickly in our pipes and sewage systems, other items don’t break down so easily. Research has found that just over one in five adults regularly admit to flushing items down the toilet that are known to cause blockages, causing detrimental effects on wastewater networks and the marine environment.
The students at St. Colmcille Junior National School also learnt about the Think Before You Pour campaign. This programme highlights the issue of pouring fats, oils, and greases (FOGs) from cooking down the kitchen sink. Instead of flowing freely FOGs cool and harden as they travel along the wastewater network and when the combine with wipes and other sewage related litter, fatbergs can form. Uisce Éireann clears thousands of blockages, including fatbergs, from the wastewater network every year. The Think Before Pour campaign urges everyone to avoid pouring FOGs down the kitchen sink and, instead, let them cool dispose of them in the bin.
Sinéad Keogh, Coastal Programmes Officer at Clean Coasts attended the workshop and said “We were delighted to be invited to St. Colmcille Junior National School to share our campaign. It is of the utmost importance that we talk to people of all ages about the Think Before You Flush and Think Before You Pour campaigns. Sewage related litter and its impacts on the natural environment concerns us all. The main thing to remember is to only flush the 3 P’s (pee, poo and paper), and that everything else goes in the bin.”