Clean Coasts take Think Before You Flush campaign to Mayo

For Science Week 2024, the Think Before You Flush team hit the Wild Atlantic Way to attend a trio of events and deliver some valuable information.

The key message was that only the three Ps (pee, poo and paper) should ever be flushed down the toilet; everything else should go in the bin.

On November 16, the campaign visited Westport for the wild and wonderful Circus Science by the Sea Festival. It followed visits earlier in the month to the Atlantic Technological University in Sligo for the annual Sligo Science Week Festival and Kenmare, Kerry, to deliver a workshop to the students of Cahir National School.

Think Before You Flush, a campaign operated by Clean Coasts in partnership with Uisce Éireann, emphasises the importance of appropriate flushing behaviour and disposal of items such as wet wipes and other sanitary products in the bin, even if they are labelled as flushable.

When wet wipes and other items are flushed down the toilet, they can cause serious blockages in sewage systems, leading to sewage overflows and ultimately polluting coastal waters and beaches.

The team also discussed the Think Before You Pour campaign that looks at the issue of pouring fats, oils and greases (FOGs) from cooking down the kitchen sink. Instead of flowing freely, FOGs cool and harden as they travel along the wastewater network. When FOGs combine with sewage-related litter such as wipes, hair and dental floss, fatbergs can form.

Uisce Éireann clears hundreds of blockages, including fatbergs, from the wastewater network every week. The Think Before Pour campaign urges everyone to avoid washing FOGs down the kitchen drain and instead dispose of them in the bin once cool.

Speaking about the recent events along the Wild Atlantic Way, Patrick Cross, Think Before You Flush campaign officer, commented: “Science Week is a national celebration of science with hundreds of events for people of all ages taking place across Ireland. This year’s theme is 'Harnessing the Power of Regeneration', focusing on how decisions we make today will impact future generations. This theme suits the purpose of the Think Before You Flush and Pour campaigns perfectly. What we flush down our toilets and pour down our sinks impacts the natural environment, our wastewater networks, and each other.

“The great news is that the solution is straightforward. Only flush the three Ps go down the toilet. Everything else belongs in the bin.

“We are delighted to have contributed to this trio of Science Week events and really value the opportunity to interact with people from a variety of locations across the Wild Atlantic Way. Special thanks to Green Schools education officer Robert Nelson for doing a great job representing Think Before You Flush at the event in Westport.”