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.

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

I love the idea of looking at real-life problems in the classroom. Rather than made-up useless stuff.

Mind you, that problem sounds similar to a completely pointless but wonderful problem: if you put a length of string the whole way round the earth at the equator (assuming it to be spherical and ignoring inconveniences like mountains) and then cut it somewhere and added a metre more string at that point, then pulled it all up to make a circle again, how far away from the earth would the string be now?

The answer is 18cm. It's totally mind-boggling.

Actually it's 16cm. No less mind-boggling, just wanted to be accurate.

How is it 16cm?

Or 18cm for that matter?

Argh, I'm a Lil-let flusher! Will stop immediately, never thought not to tbh. Will also look at the Meluna Classic mooncup variant. Have been meaning to try washable pads as we use cloth nappies anyway so might get a few of those too.

Pipbin

The glory of mathematics!

I initially misunderstood your post, and thought you were asking what was 16cm, and I drew this ghastly picture. I now realise you were asking how, so here's Wikipedia as I am shit at explaining maths to people.

I see, when you said 'pulled it all up to make a circle again' I though you meant to make it into a ball again.

Now I see the drawing in makes sense.

Pipbin

I remembered the name of another supplier I have purchased from:

luxurymoon.co.uk/

and I've just found that they have an interesting page about the health and environmental benefits of using washable sanpro (given the title of your thread!) :

luxurymoon.co.uk/index.php?main_page=page&id=3

Also for anyone who is hoping to convert teenagers and other youngsters, this is a young girl called Bree (I think she's about 16/17) on Youtube who has started her own company making cloth pads and selling reuseable sanpro:

www.youtube.com/user/preciousstarspads/featured

I think she got into the idea because of health problems she has had and has gone from strength to strength. She has a Facebook page and always offers helpful advice on there to anyone who has questions about reuseable sanpro.

Thanks, Tilly! I wanted to draw a picture because I thought it might be confusing... but I didn't know how.

Never flushed towels, was always told to wrap and bin them.

Have always flushed tampons as that is what it said to do with them on the packet when I first started using them. That is also what my Mum did/told me to do with them.

No plans to change.

Amberleaf

did you not read KissesBreakingWave's posts upthread?

Yes I did.

Bad plumbing.

Don't mean to sound flippant, but I have been flushing tampons for nearly 30 years and have never caused any blockages.

The people a few doors down at my Dads house did however cause a blockage [and a patio full of shit in my Dads garden] by flushing baby wipes down the loo though, so I know it can be an issue with some pipes.

I have lived in various types of dwelling, purpose built 50s blocks of flats, victorian conversions, 70s houses and currently a victorian house. I have never had any problems, nor have my neighbours. I have been flushing tampons all that time.

So, my current homes plumbing seems able to cope, so I have no plans to stop flushing my sodden tampons.

I have always flushed tampons and will continue to do so

This might be of interest

tamsinhopkins.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/lunette-menstrual-cup-giveaway/

can you buy mooncups actually in boots?

Ice yeah you can buy mooncups in boots as I seen them today as I bought some soft cups to try

sweet - somehow I couldn't face ordering them online

You probably get more choice online though and there might be a difference in price.

I don't understand why anyone would think flushing nappies is a good idea either - I've recently had to call out Dynarod who found a massive blockage caused by next door but 2. We know it's them - there's 3 of us sharing a drain run, next door have no kids and us - we haven't had nappies in years, but because I'm first and ended up with a garden full of sewage so called them out, I've got stung with the bill

I never flush anything apart from loo roll, and even then we don't buy the extra thick quilted stuff as our drains aren't great in the first place

I love some people's "I'm all right Jack" attitude.
Just because it's not blocking your toilet doesn't mean it's not blocking plumbing somewhere down the line.(see above) And it will need to be picked out of a filter somewhere through the system. Or end up on the beach.
But hey, so long as it's not causing you two seconds of inconvenience of using a bin rather than the loo.

Amber and Ronald, I thought flushing tampons was fine, too. Until I watched the programme linked in the OP and heard someone working in the sewage treatment works saying what a problem tampons can cause there. Plus there's the reports of tampons from sewage ending up on beaches.

So I decided not to flush them any more. Today was day 1 of my new habit - and I have to say it's surprisingly straightforward and not at all messy to wrap them in toilet paper and put in the bin.

Go on, think it through and give it a go instead of rejecting the idea out of hand.

can I join in to recommend washable pads - I don't have periods at the mo as have got mirena coil, but both my DDs (12 & 14) now use them and after the first few tries were even happy to use them at school and out and about, they wash beautifully, don't leak or smell and are dead comfy too.
DD1 has no irritation like regular (unscented) pads were giving her either.
they fold up when used and fasten with a popper so fit neatly in a little purse/bag (provided with some brands) we have an extra small bin in the bathroom and they just go in with the normal washing every couple of days - they dry in a matter of hours (we don't have a drier, but some brands can be tumbledried too)

we use Charlie banana regular, super and liners, bought from earthwisegirls - I really wish these had been around when I was a teen! I cannot recommend them enough.

Don't they get bloodstained? I don't need them (mirena here too) but have an 8 year old DD, so she will need them at some point.

here's a link, check out how many different types and sizes of washable sanpro there are!

www.earthwisegirls.co.uk/reusable-sanitary-towels-c-1.html