Think Before You Flush, a campaign operated by Clean Coasts in partnership with Uisce Éireann, joined Arklow Active Retirement Association on Friday, 17th of October, to discuss our marine and coastal habitats and the environmental issue of sewage-related litter.
During the visit, the Clean Coasts team encouraged the community to help protect their local marine environment by adopting responsible waste disposal and flushing habits, as promoted through the “Think Before You Flush” initiative. This campaign, operated by Clean Coasts in partnership with Uisce Éireann, highlights the serious impact that flushing unsuitable items down the toilet can have on the environment by causing blockages in wastewater networks and treatment plants. These impacts can lead to the presence of sewage-related litter on our beaches and in the ocean, all of which harm marine life and coastal ecosystems.
Items such as wet wipes, cotton pads, and dental floss are among the ‘Dirty Dozen’, which are the twelve most common items incorrectly flushed down toilets in Ireland. Other items include hair, paper towels, medicine, tampons, food waste, contact lenses, condoms, cigarette butts, and cotton bud sticks. Research shows that over one in four adults in Ireland admit to regularly flushing such items down the toilet, particularly wet wipes, which can cause severe blockages, sewage overflows, and marine pollution.
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, they can form large blockages called fatbergs. Uisce Éireann clears thousands of blockages, including fatbergs, from the wastewater network every year. The campaign urges households to allow FOGs to cool and solidify before disposing of them in the bin, rather than washing them down the drain.
Speaking about the day, Róisín Fitzgerald from Clean Coasts said: “We were delighted to visit the Active Retirement Association in Arklow and engage in conversations about Clean Coasts and the Think Before You Flush campaign with members of the community. Sewage-related litter affects us all and must be addressed if we are to protect our environment and wastewater network. The great news is that we can all be part of the solution – only flush the 3 Ps: pee, poo, and paper. Everything else belongs in the bin. By working together, we can promote better flushing behaviour and make a real difference to our natural environment”