The Think Before You Flush Campaign, operated by Clean Coasts in partnership with Uisce \u00c9ireann, had a presence at this year\u2019s National Marine Environment Conference (NMEC) organised by Green Schools. The conference is a gathering of students and teachers from all over the country to learn more about how they can help in shaping our future. The campaign urged the attendees to protect our environment by only flushing the 3Ps, pee, poo, and paper, down the toilet, everything else goes in the bin.<\/p>\n
The Think Before You Flush campaign strives to encourage behavioural change across Ireland and asks people to stop flushing any unsuitable items such as wipes, cotton bud sticks or dental floss down the toilet.<\/p>\n
The conference was held in Little Island, just outside Cork city in Cork Harbour, a setting to help the students and teachers alike think about the consequences of flushing incorrect items down the toilet.<\/p>\n
Flushing items such as wipes down our toilets can lead to blockages in our wastewater network, treatment plants and sewage overflows and can result in sewage related litter on our beaches, in our oceans, damaging water quality and our marine environment. Many toiletries, such as wet wipes, cotton pads and dental floss, are part of the \u2018Dirty Dozen\u2019, 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.<\/p>\n
At the conference students\u00a0also learnt about the Think Before You Pour campaign. This campaign highlights the issue of pouring fats, oils, and greases (FOGs) from cooking down the kitchen sink. Instead of flowing freely, the FOGs cool and harden as they travel along the wastewater network. When\u00a0these FOGs combine with wipes and other sewage related litter such as hair and dental floss, fatbergs can form. Uisce \u00c9ireann clears approximately 200 blockages, including fatbergs, from the wastewater network every week. The Think Before Pour campaign urges everyone to avoid washing or pouring FOGs down the kitchen drain and, instead, dispose of them in the bin once cool.<\/p>\n
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