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What is Sewer Litter and how does it pollute the sewer?

What does "Sewer Litter" mean?

People put down the toilet a large number of items that they shouldn't.  Only "natural" waste should go down the drains.  Not "Sewer Litter".

"Natural" waste products are the result of using the toilet.

"Sewer Litter" consists of "unnatural" human waste products, such as cotton bud sticks, panty liners and medicines.

List of "Sewer Litter Items"

Pile of bad things


Here is a fuller list of items that go down the toilet and shouldn't, per the UK Marine Conservation Society, worst first:

  • Cotton bud sticks
  • Condoms and femidoms
  • Tampons and tampon applicators
  • Sanitary towels, panty liners and backing strips
  • Facial and cleaning wipes
  • Disposable nappies
  • Incontinence pads
  • Old bandages
  • Razor blades
  • Syringes and needles
  • Colostomy bags
  • Medicines
  • Other items e.g. food, plastics, toilet roll tubes, tights etc

Note that the "Cotton bud sticks" is the "first of the worst" in this list.   Seemingly so innocuous, they are a notorious nuisance once they are flushed out of sight.

Stopping Sewer Litter Items from going into the sewer is good for both householder and Local Authority.

Stopping Sewer Litter Items from going into the septic tank is good for the householder.

We'll Meet Again

We'll Meet Again (174k pdf)



See our We'll Meet Again (174k pdf) flyer for more information.




Next

For more information, go to the The Sewer Litter Problem page.

For information on how to prevent Sewer Litter,
go to the What to do right page.

After you drop your Sewer Litter into the toilet or drain,
Where does Sewer Litter go? .