Think Before You Flush, in collaboration with Uisce Éireann, hit the road during September and October to meet students across the country, deliver the message of responsible flushing and giveaway some sustainable prizes. The first destination was ATU Sligo for their Clubs and Societies day on September 23rd followed by Trinity Dublin and University College Cork during Climate Action Week in mid October. At each campus the team was met by an enthusiastic respone from students and staff, many of whom had not encountered the campaign and its messaging before. These visits offered a great opportunity for the team to meet a new generation of flushers, support them in making informed decisions in the bathroom and help protect Irelands natural environment.
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. 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; sanitary products; food items; contact lenses; condoms; cigarette butts; and cotton bud sticks. Only the 3 P’s, that’s pee, poo and paper should be flushed down the toilet, everything else should go into the bin.
When items such as wet wipes are flushed away, they can cause serious blockages in waste-water systems, causing sewage overflows and ultimately pollute our rivers, lakes, coastal waters and beaches. Uisce Éireann clears thousands of blockages from the wastewater network every month. That’s thousands of opportunities for us all to make a difference.
The team also discussed the Think Before You Pour campaign with the students, which 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 thousands of blockages, including fatbergs, from the wastewater network every year. 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.
Uisce Éireann’s Head of Wastewater Operations, Nuala Woods, said: “We hope the many students who learned about the Think Before You Flush/Pour campaigns will support Uisce Éireann’s ongoing efforts to preserve and protect our precious environment. We know from our research that attitudes and flushing behaviours are changing for the better, but there is still work to do. These events are crucially important to raise awareness of what can and can’t be flushed down the toilet or poured down the sink.”
Patrick Cross, Think Before You Flush Campaign Officer at Clean Coasts, added: “While it might not be the nicest thing to think about, it’s really important to know what happens to our waste and why we need to take care of our plumbing and sewers. Our actions in the bathroom have an impact on the places we live and work in and the health and vitality of our natural spaces. It was really great to meet students in Sligo, Dublin and Cork and their enthusiasm and interest in what we are doing was very refreshing. We hope that we can work with ATU, Trinity and UCC again in the future and continue to spread the messages of Think Before You Flush and Pour amongst the younger generations.”