Last Wednesday, November 27th, the Think Before You Flush campaign, operated by Clean Coasts in partnership with Uisce Éireann attended the awards ceremony for the 2024 Clean Costs Ocean Hero awards. The event, which took place in the Gibson Hotel in Dublin was a celebration of the amazing Clean Coasts groups and volunteers who give their time and energy to help protect Irelands coastal and marine environments. The Think Before You Flush team manned a desk filled with printed materials discussing the Dirty Dozen and information on the sister campaign, Think Before You Pour, which focuses on the appropriate disposal of household cooking waste.
The “Think Before You Flush” campaign, operated by Clean Coasts in partnership with Uisce Éireann, emphasises the importance of appropriate flushing behaviour and disposal of items including wipes and other sanitary products in the bin, even if they are labelled as flushable. Only the 3 Ps, pee, poo and paper should be flushed down the toilet. When items such as wet wipes are flushed down the toilet, they can cause serious blockages in sewage systems, causing sewage overflows and ultimately polluting our coastal waters and beaches.
The team also discussed the Think Before You Pour campaign that looks at the issue of pouring fats, oils, and greases (FOGs) from cooking down the kitchen sink. Instead of flowing freely, FOG’s cool and harden as they travel along the wastewater network. When FOGs combine with sewage related litter such as wipes, hair and dental floss fatbergs can form. Uisce Éireann clears hundreds of blockages, including fatbergs, from the wastewater network every week. The Think Before Pour campaign urges everyone to avoid washing FOGs down the kitchen drain and, instead, dispose of them in the bin once cool.
Think Before You Flush Campaign Officer, Patrick Cross had this to say: ‘Sewage-related litter poses a real threat to our wastewater network and negatively impacts our marine environment. The wonderful news is that the solution is straightforward. Only flush the 3 Ps (pee, poo, and paper) down the toilet. Through education and awareness, the Think Before You Flush campaign aims to prevent items like wipes, cotton bud sticks and sanitary items washing up on Ireland’s shores. Events like the Ocean Hero awards are a perfect fit for the campaign as they are attended by people that really care about the health and well-being of Irelands coastal and marine environments. We were delighted to attend interact with attendees on the day. Well done to all the winners and thank you to everyone for contributing to a great event!
Congratulating all the worthy winners on the day, Nuala Woods, Head of Wastewater Operations at Uisce Éireann said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Clean Coasts and volunteers groups and communities across Ireland to preserve and protect our environment and shine a light on the link between what you flush down the toilet and what can end up on your local beach or in your local river.”