Clean Coasts and Uisce Éireann visited Athlone in County Westmeath for their Public Participation Network Spring Plenary meeting. The plenary brings together local councillors, members of the local community and business owners and offers a great opportunity to engage with a large group of socially conscious individuals on the issue of sanitary waste. The Think Before You Flush team encouraged attendees to look after their rivers and lakes by cultivating responsible flushing behaviors in the bathroom. This campaign aims to raise awareness about the detrimental effects of flushing sanitary products and other damaging items down the toilet and to promote responsible waste management practices.
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, 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, FOGs 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.
Aidan Gray, Clean Coasts Senior Development Officer for Louth and Meath, had this to say: “We are thankful to organisers of the Spring Plenary for inviting us to be part of this event. We were delighted to visit Athlone and engage in conversations about Clean Coasts and the Think Before You Flush campaign with members of the community. Sewage-related litter places a real burden on our wastewater network and natural environment. The wonderful news is that the solution is straightforward. Only flush the 3 Ps (pee, poo, and paper) down the toilet. Everything else belongs in the bin. Through collaboration, we can support better flushing behaviour and deliver a tangible positive impact on our natural environment.”
Uisce Éireann’s Head of Wastewater Operations, Nuala Woods, said: “Everyday people flush thousands of sanitary items such as wet wipes and cotton buds down the toilet instead of simply putting them in the bin. This causes blockages in our network, pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants and can lead to sewage overflows impacting some of our most beautiful coastal and river locations. We clear approximately 10,000 blockages from our wastewater network every year.”
Nuala continued: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Clean Coasts to preserve and protect our environment and shine a light on the link between what you flush down the toilet and can end up at your local river or beach. We hope the local community here in Athlone will continue to Think Before You Flush.”