To be surprised that people flush tampons and towels still?

[Pipbin]

So many people seem to fail to see that it's a problem.

This program: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0419n5m/watermen-a-dirty-business-episode-1 showed why it's a problem.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheChocolateGoes]

Academic for me (mirena coil = no periods) but washable sanpro - does that mean towels only and no tampons? Whst do you do, rinse them then bucket them up like nappies for a hot wash?

[Pipbin]

But Kissing, some people have said that they don't want to bin their tampon because it's icky, and they will contine to flush, so there!

I wonder if they would change their minds if they were knee deep in turds.

[lottiegarbanzo]

I'm still curious to know whether this is really a generational change, or if it's a small, more aware proportion of the younger generation (say under 30s) who have changed, plus a much smaller proportion of women over that age, who happen to have been paying attention to the issues.

The thread title is bound to attract people who agree, plus people curious enough to think 'what?'. Most people just continue doing what they did when they first learnt how - in most areas of endeavour.

[Pipbin]

I agree Lottie, it's something most of us do without question. We do what we have always done. And because it is never spoken about no one learns not to.

There needs to be tv adverts.

[Squirrelsmum]

There are signs in every public toilet here to not flush pads, tampons, nappies or wipes. It's kinda hard to not see them.

[rideyourbike]

Washable towels just get soaked on cold water after use then in with a normal wash of bath towels. Very comfy, easy to buy online or make your own! I have heavy periods, no leaks, no smell :)

[lottiegarbanzo]

People don't necessarily connect signs in public toilets with their home plumbing systems and habits though. They might think the PTs run on a septic tank, or have old plumbing, or are at particular risk of blocking because of heavy use. It doesn't convey the issue.

[NatashaGurdin]

fidelineish
When you say "Not if you have no handbasins in the loos (victorian gothic wreck). Thinking about it, but the initial outlay will be more than the price of two mooncups."

Do you mean when you're at home or at work or otherwise out and about?

[ChocolateWombat]

The reason so many people don't know, is because we all read the tampax instructions once when we were 12 or 13. Back then they said they were flush able. After that no one needs to read the instructions, so if they change, older users just don't realise. And tampon disposal is not a hot topic of discussion in real life so its possible to go for years without knowing and no doubt many people still won't know for these reasons in 10 years time.

[Cornettoninja]

tilly although I'm not completely sold on the idea of composting sanitary products it does make sense logically.

A lot of gardening products contain blood and bone (usually fish I think) so it's probably excellent for compost. I'm sure someone scientific can correct me, but I don't think there are many germs or viruses that would survive the composting process. Weeing on your compost is meant to be excellent for it so it's not massive leap.

Not forgetting we all happily chow down on vegetables and fruit that have been lovingly grown in ample amounts of various shit that must have traces of blood in it at times.

[NatashaGurdin]

rideyourbike

You don't even have to soak them until you wash them. Apparently as long as they are not in a closed environment (like a lidded bucket), they will not smell. Maybe Tilly can explain why as she seems to know about the science side! . I have a feeling that it is something to do with aerobic and anaerobic environments?

[trixymalixy]

While we're on the subject, please don't flush kitchen roll either. It's just as bad as baby wipes for blocking sewers. It's not designed to break down in the same way as toilet roll.

[NatashaGurdin]

Cornettoninja

I expect Tilly has already of heard of this but some people put menstrual blood on their compost, I think the compost has to be at a high temperature though.

[bluebeanie]

I was surprised at the wet wipes and towels being flushed. I try to remember about not flushing tampons.

Scented nappy sacks are useful. Hmm, but probably not that environmentally sound.

[lottiegarbanzo]

On composting, it's all about the size of your compost heap, whether it gets really hot in the middle for a long time and if you have anaerobic or aerobic digestion going on.

You need it to be really big and hot to break down nasties, of any sort. Generally, it's not advised to put meat, bones or bloody stuff on domestic compost heaps as they can attract rats and may not break down efficiently. That's not to say you couldn't make it work, if you really planned and looked after your compost well and probably in an enclosed container.

[fidelineish]

Do you mean when you're at home or at work or otherwise out and about?

Home. I mainly work from home Natasha.

The bathrooms will be done in the next couple of years. Then there would be DD to convert too...

[TillyTellTale]

cornetto it definitely makes sense that composting would work, provided the brand was completely cotton.

I have a lingering concern about the protocols that are used for large scale disposal of sanitary waste, i.e. bins in public toilets, because I'm not sure why they exist. On the other hand, we're allowed to throw towels/tampons in a normal waste sack as householders (unlike, say syringes which are always clinical waste), aren't we?

I suppose there is a lot of difference between the risks with large scale disposal, such as a bag of pads that originate with 75 different women and the pads from one household. A domestic compost heap handled by the women themselves would be far more similar to the latter. So, I think I may be panicking about nothing.

NatashaGurdin Now, this I don't know! But probably is aerobic/anaerobic decomposition.

[NatashaGurdin]

fidelineish

Yes no handbasins does make life difficult to be ecologically minded!

I think the biggest thing women who change from disposable to reusable find is the fact that the cups don't need to be emptied as often as tampons need changing (depending on what size you use and how heavy the flow is) (as long as you have access to somewhere to pour the blood away) and the pads are more absorbent and usually can be folded up and put in a small bag with press stud or zip closures until you get home if you need to change while out of the home.

I'm 47 and started my periods when I was 11. Like others I remember when young being told to flush towels by tearing them in half length ways. I wonder if some of the problems have been caused by the different toilet systems now in use? They seem to be shallower and use less water (which is good!) but which may make them more prone to blocking? It's the only thing I can think of that is different to when I was young!

The water companies should get the sanpro companies (and any other offenders) to stop putting 'flushable' on their products and there should be publicity campaigns to inform; although adverts about sanpro tend to be so twee so's not to offend!

I'm trying to persuade my DSD to change to reusables in a lighthearted way (like when she says about how much tampons cost) but she hasn't seen the light yet ... she does know to bag and bin and not flush though.

[KissesBreakingWave]

Update; the dynorod man managed to clear the blockage. Definitely tampons, apparently.

Now revelling in the fact that it's NOT me that has to clean that flat.

[CharlotteCollins]

I think when I return to teaching I will spread the word to my students and see if I can encourage them to educate their mothers.

Actually, I could probably put together a good maths lesson about blockages and sewers and stuff... Good "ewww" factor for teenagers!

[KissesBreakingWave]

Sewers are just a wealth of science (and history, you can track a lot of civilisation by the state of the drains). MOSI has a whole gallery of stuff about 'em, and my kids when little loved the gross-out factor. I don't know what they're like for giving stuff to teachers to use, but can't hurt to ask.

[CharlotteCollins]

Sounds a fun day out!

I just found this article.

There's loads of jump-off points in there for a great lesson. Like:

• draw a scale drawing of you in the sewer pipe
  
• what was the diameter of the fatball?
  
• thinking of the small space the sewage could still flow through, what size pipe is that equivalent to?
  
• was the fatball really the size of a bus? Any better comparisons?
  

[KissesBreakingWave]

You could do some cool stuff with the relationship between sewer diameter and cross-sectional area - lose an inch of diameter to build up of crud, how much area for flow do you lose?

[KissesBreakingWave]

(That's actually a real engineering problem. Not a sewage/civils engineer myself, but have worked with a lot of them and their problems.)