Holly Tetzlaff
“Disappearance ≠ Disintegration: The Environmental Impact of Pseudo Flushables”
East Northumberland Secondary School, Brighton Ontario
The international flushable manufacturing industry is growing while globally sewer blockages are increasing. Sewer authorities remain steadfast – only toilet paper and human waste should be flushed down toilets but manufacturers continue to claim product flushability. Using controlled trials disintegration rates of ‘flushable’ products were determined to see if there were correlations between consumer products intended to be flushed into wastewater systems and increase in costly sewer clogs. Conclusions found ‘flushable-labelled’ products did not disintegrate like toilet paper. Post-experiment residual masses could become sources of sewer clogs and fatbergs. A Red Fish Route education program for youth and communities can be a solution. People are shown the connection between what we flush down our toilets and how it directly affects our water environment fostering lifelong, environmentally friendly flushing habits in the next generation.