Flushing Tampons Down the Toilet is Really Bad For the Environment FYI
When changing a tampon, the easiest thing to do is to throw the dirty one in the toilet. I mean, it's right there, and who wants to go through the whole saga of having to inconspicuously hide your dirty tampon in the trash, especially if you're at someone else's house. But, sometimes, flushing tampons down the toilet is a BIG no-no. I mean, when was the last time you were in a public restroom that didn't ask you to not flush feminine hygiene products. There's a reason for that.
So, to end the debate, I did some research to find the definite answer to the pressing question: Can you flush tampons down the toilet??
Do brands have something to say about it?
According to Kotex, "there is nothing worse for your pipes that a tampon. Don’t flush ‘em – ever." Tampax has a similar sentiment, writing on their website that "tampons cannot be processed by wastewater-treatment facilities and they can harm septic systems," so throwing them in the trash is the best course of action.
Even Lola, a brand that offers organic tampons, warns against flushing tampons as they can cause blockages in your plumbing system. However, their biodegradable cardboard applicators ARE safe for septic systems, but you should still think twice before flushing those.
Will tampons clog toilets?
Some people believe that if you don't have a septic system, you can flush tampons down the toilet. As background, if your house has a septic system, that's an individual sewer unit owned by the owner of the house. If it's part of a sewer system, it's connected to other homes in the area and is the responsibility of the government.
Tampons can definitely harm septic systems, so if you have one (ask your parents), DO NOT flush tampons. But, even if you are part of a sewer system, flushing tampons is still not a good idea. According to plumbers (aka the real experts), tampons don't break down, and even if they are biodegradable, they take a while. Because tampons expand when wet, they can often get stuck in pipes, building up debris over time and thus making blockages even worse.
If tampons don't get stuck in the pipes and they make their way to the sewage plant, the process to break them down and filter them is expensive and hard. If done right, they just end up going to a landfill (where they would have gone if you just threw them away). But, if done incorrectly, which is often the case, the results can be much worse...
Is it bad for the environment to flush tampons?
Not only will it ruin your plumbing system, but flushing tampons is also bad for the environment! While sometimes, as explained above, period products get filtered out and sent to a landfill, often they don't and they get sent to the ocean with the rest of the waste in the sewer system. Since the products take a long time to breakdown, that means they often end up in seas, rivers, and oceans fully intact! And, because so many people use period products, and a lot of them flush them down the toilet, the amount of plastic that ends up in the ocean due to period products is staggering. According to Wen. UK, 2.5 million tampons get flushed down the toilet PER DAY. And that's not even mentioning pads and liners. Even if just a small percentage of that ends up in the ocean, that's still tons of plastic each year.
How should I dispose of my tampon?
So, what's the proper way to dispose of a tampon? The answer is actually very simple...just drop them in the garbage! A lot of public restrooms will have designated bins in their stalls, but if you're not in a public restroom (or there's no bin), simply wrap up the tampon in some toilet paper and throw it in the trash!
Alternatively, you can use a product like Fab Little Bag, which is just an opaque biodegradable bag that allows you to dispose of your tampons in a more discreet, sanitary, and environmentally-friendly way.
Another alternative is ditching the tampons all together and opting for more reusable options, like period panties or Diva cups! These options are environmentally friendly, and allow you to enjoy your day without worrying about changing your tampon.
Basically you have tons of options...but flushing tampons down the toilet IS NOT one of them.
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