It’s simple: the only items you should flush down the toilet are pee, poo, and toilet paper.
Yet many people still dispose of “unflushable” items in the toilet, costing Metro Vancouver and member jurisdiction an estimated $2.5 million every year to unclog pump stations and pipes, do additional maintenance, and fix or replace damaged equipment.
So what household items cause the most problems for our wastewater system?
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- Wipes
- Paper towels
- Medications
- Hair
- Tampons and sanitary pads
- Dental floss
- Condoms
Sometimes the label of a product claims the item is flushable, like tampons and wipes, but these items do not break down quickly in the sewer system. There are currently no regulations to specify which products can be labelled “flushable.”
To learn more about how to properly dispose of these items and more, visit unflushables.ca.
