To Flush or Not To Flush
How to Dispose of Cosmetics, Cleaning Supplies, and Medications
How to Dispose of Cosmetics, Cleaning Supplies, and Medications
Come on admit it. Almost all of us are guilty of disposing something down the toilet that we shouldn't have; one time or another. When we do this, we don't stop to think about the safety of what we are doing. What is really happening to the things we flush? Read below to know the truth about what to flush or not to flush. If you aren't sure if something you want to flush is safe, then you should ask a plumber for advice.
Flushing things down the toilet, especially chemicals, whether it be cosmetics,cleaning supplies or medications, could be harmful and eventually end up in the water supply. Most water treatment plants are not designed to destroy or even remove these things from the wastewater.
Flushing medications down the toilet have a number of harmful consequences and there are probably more that we don't know about. Some of the harmful consequences include the poisoning aquatic environments and the worsening the problems of bacteria resistance to pharmaceuticals. When cosmetics are flushed, it can also poison aquatic environments because cosmetics usually contain chemical substances. If you have to throw away your lotions, and make-up products, put them in the trash. As of right now, the landfills are the best place to put these things in. Landfills are now created with plastic barriers that separates the garbage and the ground with no worry of contaminating the soil and water table.
Now what happens when we flush cleaning supplies down the toilet? Cleaning supplies also damage the environment, but in reality worse. Think of it this way, if cleaning materials cause skin irritation or other problems, imagine what it does to the aquatic life which is usually more fragile than humans. Just as cleaning supplies can either kill us or make us sick, it does the same for aquatic life and wildlife. This doesn't even include what the cleaners will do to the plant life. Flushing cleaning supplies down the toilet also runs the risk of corroding your pipes as certain powerful chemicals can after time damage your pipes. If you think that your pipes are damaged or that you need to replace your pipes or toilet, make sure you find a skilled plumber to help you.
The old way of disposing cosmetics, cleaning supplies and medications was to flush them down the toilet, but now the recommendations are:
1.Asking your pharmacy about the proper way to dispose of the medication.
2.Sealing medication with the childproof caps it came with and then tape it shut before placing it into your trash.
3.Placing medications and cosmetics in with your used coffee grounds and throw it in the trash. This provides an unlikely place for people and pets to look through.
4.Place kitty litter in an empty milk container and then pour liquid cleaners, or liquid medications into. It will be absorbed, and you won't have to worry about contaminating the environment.
So, please think twice before you flush your medications, cosmetics, and cleaning supplies down the toilet. Our environment is fragile and the only one we have, so lets not ruin it because we cannot dispose of things correctly. As for the cleaners that we use, let us try to find environmentally safe ones to cut down the risk of harming our world further. We must start thinking about what we are doing instead of doing whatever is convenient with those cosmetics, cleaning supplies and medications.