Metro Vancouver is reminding residents to keep wipes and other items like hair, floss and tampons out of the toilets with its third annual Unflushables campaign.
This year’s campaign focuses on wipe products, which are often misleadingly marketed as ‘flushable,’ according to Metro Vancouver.
Initial findings from tests at Ryerson University found that only 11 of 101 products met the ‘flushable’ specifications developed by the International Water Services Flushability Group, and all of those were normal toilet paper, according to Metro.
Besides wipes, Metro Vancouver’s campaign highlights the damage other unflushables can cause to the sewer system. The worst offenders include dental floss, hair, paper towels, tampons and applicators, and condoms. Also on the list of unflushables are medications, which may end up in our environment. Medications should be returned to your local pharmacy for proper disposal through the provincial medications return program.
