http://www.care2.com/greenliving/what-not-to-put-down-your-drain.html
What Not To Put Down Your Drain
By Melissa Breyer, Senior Editor, Healthy & Green Living
Our trash that goes in the can or recycling is waste we have no choice but to face. Whether it’s hauling the trash cans to the sidewalk, bringing recycling to a center–it’s a mass of garbage that we have to contend with. Liquid waste, on the other hand, simply gets rinsed down the drain and it’s “bye-bye never have to think about you again.” It’s a much more expedient process–one that’s hidden from the eyes of any sanitation departments–and one that can wreak waves of environmental chaos, not to mention what it can do to your pipes. We often don’t realize the harm we are doing by what we rinse down our kitchen sinks, bath and shower drains, and even what we flush down our toilets.
In a study published in 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected and analyzed water samples from 139 streams in 30 states. The goal of the study was to measure concentrations of 95 wastewater-related organic chemicals in water. And guess what? One or more of these chemicals were found in 80 percent of the streams sampled. Half of the streams contained seven or more of these chemicals, and about one-third of the streams contained 10 or more of these chemicals. Pharmaceutical and personal-care products are to blame for many of the chemicals found in the USGS study. Research has shown that there can be effects on aquatic organisms like fish and frogs. Lesson here: don’t flush unwanted prescriptions and try to purchase all-natural personal care products.
But another area of concern is kitchen waste–namely fats, oils and greases which can not only clog pipes, but are terrible for sewage systems. According to the Watership Environment Foundation (WEF), sewer overflows and backups can cause health hazards, damage home interiors, and threaten the environment. An increasingly common cause of overflows is sewer pipes blocked by grease–this results in raw sewage overflowing in your home or your neighbor’s home; An expensive and unpleasant cleanup that often must be paid for by you, the homeowner; Raw sewage overflowing into parks, yards, and streets; Potential contact with disease-causing organisms; and an increase in operation and maintenance costs for local sewer departments, which causes higher sewer bills for customers. Where does the grease that causes sewer overflows come from? Much of it from the kitchen sink.
Meat fats
Lard
Cooking oil
Shortening
Butter and margarine
Food scraps
Baking goods
Sauces
Dairy products
Grease sticks to the insides of sewer pipes (both on your property and in the streets). Over time, the grease can build up and block the entire pipe. Note that home garbage disposals do not keep grease out of the plumbing system. These units only shred solid material into smaller pieces and do not prevent grease from going down the drain. Commercial additives, including detergents, that claim to dissolve grease may pass grease down the line and cause problems in other areas.
WEF suggests these tips to alleviate pipe blockage and sewer overflows:
• Never pour grease down sink drains or into toilets.
• Scrape grease and food scraps from trays, plates, pots, pans, utensils, and grills and cooking surfaces into a can or the trash for disposal (or recycling where available).
• Do not put grease down garbage disposals. Put baskets/strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps and other solids, and empty the drain baskets/strainers into the trash for disposal.
• Speak with your friends and neighbors about the problem of grease in the sewer system and how to keep it out.
• Call your local sewer system authority if you have any questions.
Other things to never wash down your drain:
Fats, oils or grease from cars or lawnmowers
Coffee grinds
Egg shells
Produce stickers
Chunks of garbage
Feminine hygiene products
Paper towels
Flushable cat litter
Rags
Condoms
Motor oil, transmission fluids, anti-freeze or other toxic chemicals
Solvents, paints, turpentine, nail polish, polish remover
Flammable or explosive substances
Corrosive substances that are either acidic or caustic
Prescription and over-the-counter medications
For more information on how to dispose of old medication and personal care products, read Medicine Cabinet Clean-Out.
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23 comments
add your comment »Sounds like a good product. Thanks Raina.
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Most often we put all kinds of things down our drains. Chemical cleaners being one of them that also damages our pipes. I tried a product through Norwex. It's a micro fibre cloth with silver in it and you use only water, it picks up 99.9%f all bacteria, dirt, dust and grime. It's amazing and it works. I only use water for my house now, and the windows and faucets are absolutely streak free and cleaner way longer than anything else I have ever used. I also used to do the vingar and baking soda. You can find these cloths on www.norwex.ca. These cloths are also used in the hospitals in norway and sweden. If they can clean a hospital, it can for sure clean our homes.
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New product to clean you drains monthly so they do not clog. www,ecodraindragon.com.
It brings up all that grease and hair into a wet vac so you don't need to put any chemicals down your drain.
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Please also remind people NOT to put rice into the garbage disposal or directly into the sink drain. Rice turns into a sticky, very gluey mess that completely clogs up the pipes. Once some people living above me in apartment building did this and backed up the pipes for the entire building. A whole lot of flooding and damage resulted.
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Sorry for the double message, still getting used to this :-)
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I'm really concerned now. I have a septic system. I understand there is definite concern with chemicals in sewage drains from cities. But does anyone know how much more significant it is for septic systems draining into your backyard? I never gave much thought before because I try to use all natural products all the time. But this article got me to thinking about long term effects of septic systems. Especially when you use your land for gardening/edibles. Does anyone have any info or insight into this?
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I'm really concerned now. I have a septic system. I understand there is definite concern with chemicals in sewage drains from cities. But does anyone know how much more significant it is for septic systems draining into your backyard? I never gave much thought before because I try to use all natural products all the time. But this article got me to thinking about long term effects of septic systems. Especially when you use your land for gardening/edibles. Does anyone have any info or insight into this?
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Let's add that it would be good not to put fluoride down the drain. It comes in most water supplies and doesn't break down. We now are intaking some 4x what we did when they started putting fluoride in the water supply. There is LOTS of research showing the serious health risks of ingesting fluoride and we are building it up in our environment all the time. For more info see www.friendsofwater.com. Consider getting a filter that takes it out of your drinking and cooking water.
Timothy
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What is wrong with egg shells? I didn't know about this one, and try to compost them, but some family members forget!
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This is such important information. I am going to put this list on my fridge to help me remember. So important for our oceans and animals to think about what we put down the drain. Every little bit counts!!!
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