Meet the Unflushables
Flushing certain items down the toilet causes problems for our wastewater system and our environment.
Cloggers Belong In the Trash
Items like wipes (baby wipes, personal hygiene wipes, cleaning wipes), paper towels, tampons + applicators, condoms, floss and even hair cause problems. These products don’t break down quickly enough in the wastewater system (or at all) and can end up clogging our sewers and your pipes. Clogs are costly to remove and can lead to raw sewage overflows into the environment. Nobody wants that. Put these cloggers in the garbage where they belong.
Medications Go Back to a Pharmacy
Not all medications are removed in the wastewater treatment process and as a result, some chemicals may end up in the environment. Keep these pollutants out of our waterways by taking them back to a local pharmacy.
Meet the Flushables
The only things that are okay to flush down the toilet are #1, #2, and toilet paper. Anything else wreaks havoc on our sewer system.
What If It Says It’s Flushable?
Products that say they’re flushable – like tampons and wipes – may make it down your toilet, but they might not make it through our sewers. There are currently no regulations to specify which products can be labelled “flushable”. Cities around the world are trying to develop standards to more accurately label whether or not products are truly flushable. For now, put them in the trash. Unlike toilet paper, wipes don’t easily break down when flushed, even the ones labelled “flushable”. Once flushed, wipes can clog sewer lines, pumps and pipes in homes, causing sewage overflows into residences and the environment. Put wipes in the garbage, not the toilet.
Learn More
Watch these quick videos that explain why it is so important to separate the unflushables:
Click here to read the insert that was distributed with your utility bill.