Adult toilet training guide
Just when you thought you were fully toilet trained, the world introduced disposable wipes. There are a lot of things we shouldn’t do in a bathroom, including flushing the wrong things.
Flushing disposable wipes can cause serious and costly problems for our sewer system and your home. Even if they say they’re “flushable”, wipes go in the garbage.
How wipes damage the sewer system
Unlike toilet paper, disposable wipes — even ones labeled “flushable” — don’t break down quickly in our sewer system. They can bind with other materials to clog sewers, damage equipment at pump stations, and contribute to sewer overflows. Every year, Metro Vancouver and its members spend over $2 million to deal with the impact of wipes and other “unflushables” in the sewer system.
Items that are safe to flush
Pee, poo, and toilet paper (and yes, bodily fluids) are the only things that are safe to flush. Our toilets and sewer systems weren’t designed to handle anything else.
Items that aren’t safe to flush
These are commonly flushed items that damage our sewers and environment. Here’s the right way to dispose of them:
Wipes
- Garbage (even if they say "flushable")
Paper towels
- Green bin (if used on food)
- Garbage (if used on cleaning products/chemicals)
Hair
- Green bin (small amounts — like a few strands)
- Garbage (large amounts — like from a hairbrush)
Disposable period products
- Garbage (tampons and applicators, pads, liners)
Better labelling regulations for "flushable" products
Products that say they’re flushable — like wipes and tampons — may make it down your toilet, but they can cause serious issues for the sewer system. There are currently no regulations to specify which products can be labelled “flushable”. For now, put them in the trash (including wipes labelled “compostable” or “biodegradable”).
Cities around the world are developing standards to more accurately label products. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has adopted a resolution proposed by Metro Vancouver and will be asking the federal government to regulate what products can be labeled as flushable.