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.

[leedsgirl231]

When I first started, my mum used to say "rip them in half, flush one bit then flush the other" but then we got a bin.
I would never flush it now. One time I got the toilet blocked at a pub, never, ever again.

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

These ones are described as biodegradable

www.amazon.co.uk/Scensibles-Disposable-Hygiene-Bags-Petite/dp/B001PYQE78?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Afwiw its not just about the environment in terms of the tampons turning up in the sea and on the beach, it's causing your street to be covered in the contents of the drains as well

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

Sorry thought I had clicked on the whole thread then got distracted so did not realise it was more than 1 page

[gotnotimeforthat]

I used to bin my tam

[gotnotimeforthat]

I used to bi

[gotnotimeforthat]

M phone is intent on not letting me finish my message!!

Anyway, I used to bin my tampons until one day my little sister went to put a toilet roll tube in the bin and saw a blood soaked tampon and tissue screamed, cried and asked if one of us was going to die.

I always flushed them after that. After moving out I returned to binning them.

[TheWanderingUterus]

I wonder when the flushing thing came in.

I was reading something earlier describing the first public toilet sanitary towel bins - a enamelled box with a slot in the lid and a bottom that flipped open to allow it to be emptied easily by the attendant so they didnt have to touch the pads. This was the 1930's (1935 to be precise) and the last line says:

'The less scrupulous solve the difficulty by putting the napkin down the lavatory drain'.

So women were doing it even then and I'm guessing thats why sanitary bins were brought in in the first place.

FWIW I dont, not even the little pieces of paper backing. I managed to completely block my parents toilet drain by doing this in the mid 90's, never forgotten the cringing conversation about it I had with my father who had to clear it out.

[violetlights]

I had no idea you weren't supposed to flush tampons (I thought it common sense not to flush sanitary towels because they have so much plastic in them). And I didn't know you weren't supposed to flush "moist toilet tissue" (i.e. wet wipes). The packaging instructs you to!

Why on earth don't the water companies just put a note through your door telling you this stuff????!!!

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

There was a lot of publicity about not flushing stuff 15 or 20 years ago, images of sanitary towels on beaches etc, I stopped flushing back then.

[Ewieindwie1]

Never knew about not flushing tampons: had never been told not to. Have never put wipes or San towels down. Embarrassingly just asked DDs who said 'duh mum'. Feel quite sad I no l

[Ewieindwie1]

Sorry, sad I no longer have periods and can't do things right. Hurrah for ablation.

[Pipbin]

I think you can flush moist toilet tissue, but not baby wipes.