TAMPONS ARE *NOT* FLUSHABLE

[SandingWithMyUnshavenLegs]

I cannot believe the number of women nonchalantly stating somewhere on MN that they have always flushed their tampons, and expressing mild, disinterested surprise at the notion this is not okay.

So.

Stop flushing them. They are not flushable.

Cheers.

I didn't know this! I was taught, in a feminine hygiene class at school, that you could flush the tampon itself but not the applicator and wrapper. I will wrap it and bin it from now on.

@BigWoollyJumpers

Well - another one here who has always flushed. I have only ever used tampons, and in 40 years have flushed away happily. Still going at 55. Not going to stop now, too late to worry. As the risk of TMI, on my heavy days, they just drop out, so no way am I going fishing for them .

Meanwhile in a prime case of whataboutery, on the "Litter Tray" people flush their cat poo and litter down the toilet and think it is OK .

Now that you know you’re not supposed to do something (for sensible, environmental reasons) isn’t it better to at least make an attempt not to do it?

I had no idea until I read it on here that you weren’t supposed to flush cat or dog poo down the toilet. We flush human poo down the toilet so I had no reason to think that other poo wasn’t OK. Cat litter is a bit different though

I flush them- always have and won't be stopping. As PPs have said, if you have heavier days, they're full to bursting anyway. There's no way I'm wrapping dripping tampons up. Periods are a pain in the arse as it is- I have no intention of making them even harder to manage.

@BigWoollyJumpers

Well - another one here who has always flushed. I have only ever used tampons, and in 40 years have flushed away happily. Still going at 55. Not going to stop now, too late to worry. As the risk of TMI, on my heavy days, they just drop out, so no way am I going fishing for them .

Meanwhile in a prime case of whataboutery, on the "Litter Tray" people flush their cat poo and litter down the toilet and think it is OK .

So it's bad for environment, but fuck it, you'll continue because you're too lazy to wrap it and put it in a bin 👍🏼

I haven't used tampons for many years because I hate them, but if I did this would be the nail
In the coffin for me. Being flushable was their one saving grace for me (90s teen - we were told they were flushable then).

I am horrified to realise that they contain plastic and are not all cotton as I previously (obv naively) believed.

So it's bad for environment, but fuck it, you'll continue because you're too lazy to wrap it and put it in a bin

anon12345678901 We all do things that we know are bad for the environment, but do them because they are convenient or we enjoy doing them. Do you ever do any of these, for example?
Use a car (instead of a bike or walking) for a journey of less than 3 miles?
Eat meat?
Use fossil fuel for heating?
Buy new clothes instead of mending or altering existing clothes or buying 2nd hand?
Replace items merely because you fancy a change, not because they have broken beyond repair or are worn out?
Fly in an aeroplane to go on holiday?
Drive somewhere in the car purely for leisure / pleasure and not out of necessity?

I think most of us probably do all of the above from time to time.

[quote Hardtofindafreename]@SandingWithMyUnshavenLegs - maybe less of the "you lot" language and appreciate that all ages are on mumsnet and respect that things and attitudes change over the years and what used to be ok is sometimes not now. I don't read or take notice of those signs cos I don't need to anymore[/quote]
This! You're quite patronising OP.

I don't flush tampons but can understand why others might have made the mistake of flushing them - when I first started using tampons as a teenager they were definitely flushable.

Cheers.

Contributing to climate change is one thing. Knowing that little kids are going to be paddling among your used tampons is another @80sMum

Pee, poo,paper, puke.

Tampax used to advertise on their box that even the applicator was flushable. I've no idea when this actually changed. Lots of people might still not be aware

@SandingWithMyUnshavenLegs

I think I am surprised that you lot haven’t read the packaging, or seen the “no-flush” symbols or come across laminated signs in public/hotel toilets that say “Do not flush any feminine hygiene products” etc.

But they've always said that as far as I remember- so people who don't know I guess assume it means towels

So it's bad for environment, but fuck it, you'll continue because you're too lazy to wrap it and put it in a bin

Yep.

But as pp's have said, I do or do not do lots of other things, good and bad for the environment. It's a balance. I do my best, but not everyone, does everything, that is pure and decent.

I will always flush them (unless it will specifically break the plumbing in an old house). I think this is a feminist issue. It’s a basic hygiene product, like loo roll. It’s not ok that plumbing can’t handle it.

@pinkmink

I will always flush them (unless it will specifically break the plumbing in an old house). I think this is a feminist issue. It’s a basic hygiene product, like loo roll. It’s not ok that plumbing can’t handle it.

I'd say the squeamishness and inability to handle and deal with periods,a bit of blood,the sight of it ,being in a bin etc more of a feminist issue.

It's not a product designed to go in the toilets, that's why systems can't handle it. Not because they're products exclusively for women.

I’m not squeamish. No problem with it being in the bin (as that’s where pads would be). But it’s much more convenient to flush.

They should be redesigned so they can be flushed.

Let's ask men whether they flush their condoms.....looking at condom packaging on Boots, I can't see any warnings on there to not flush. Talk about double standards.

Genuine question: it's often on the news about not flushing baby wipes as these, combined with fat also thrown down drain combine 'fatbergs' I've never seen tampons mentioned as part of the problem. Is this just because the water boards are period Squeamish or is the problem of sanitary products just not as large as baby wipes?

@evilharpy

A more recent one

Definitely this is what I used as a teen and what I was taught too!

@BigWoollyJumpers

Let's ask men whether they flush their condoms.....looking at condom packaging on Boots, I can't see any warnings on there to not flush. Talk about double standards.

Condoms shouldn't be flushed either .

I remember reading the packaging when I first started using tampons in the early nineties and the advice was to flush them.

I always assumed hotels/cafes etc had so many toilets that it was a strain on their drains and so they provided bins & bags.

Got the shock of my life when my elderly neighbour knocked on the door to complain his drain was blocked with tampons. I was mortified.

Of course, I apologised profusely and paid for the drain to be cleared. I’ve never flushed one since! In fact, I now wear period pants, so don’t use them at all.

@boomshakalacka even a heavily soiled tampon is fine wrapped in a wad of toilet paper. Biodegradable bags are also an option. I was flushing mine for 20 years before the drain incident. Never again!

Thinking about it - I don't see how it would be possible to make a tampon that would degrade in water, which would not degrade in the damp environment it stays in for hours beforehand.

I can't see that it's a feminist issue that drains cannot cope with items that don't degrade quickly and certainly not that we should somehow be allowed to flush items containing plastic down the drain to end up in the oceans.

There are plenty of other options available, and you can still use them and not flush them. It's fairly entitled to suggest that not having to touch your used tampon slightly more in order to bin it is more important than keeping plastic out of oceans and drains unblocked. Why should someone else have to deal with your period products just because you don't want to?

And if anyone (men and women are often involved in the use of a condom) flushes a condom down the loo they are fucking disgusting. It's blatantly obvious to anyone with half a brain cell that a totally and obviously synthetic condom should not be flushed and it's not even easier to flush it than bin it since in most circs you aren't using it directly over a loo

@EurghCobwebs Just wanted to spread the word, and as a result I’ve learned A LOT from the replies on this thread. Mainly that the advice changed at some point and it hasn’t been well advertised. Completely understandable. If I was to make another thread, I would take all this into account. But I was genuinely flabbergasted that so many were doing it and weren’t bothered because I had no idea it used to be the done thing.

I’d say cheers but can’t top the sarcasm of yours

I think the problem is we were all told at school then never bothered to read the instructions passed how to put it in so many will just keep mindlessly doing it.
I think the best way to go about it would be some sort of campaign where its said on tv newspaper ads etc.
Even though I have known for a few years now it still baffles me other women dont.
We were taught to flush sanity towels too.

@boomshakalacka Yeah tbh I can’t say I’d be thrilled about stopping flushing them if I’d always done it. Ultimately it’s for each of us to decide what we want to do, there’s no tampon police after all!! But probably better that we are all at least informed about the potential environmental/sewage works consequences to make up our own minds.

@Bigassbeebuzzbuzz Yes this is definitely the overwhelming consensus. Taught to flush and never looked back (as many have said, why would you?)