Flush it Right - What Goes Where

We might think that wastewater systems can deal with anything that is flushed down the toilet or rinsed down the drain. But flushing or rinsing materials down the drain that don't belong is problematic for wastewater systems.

Caring about what goes down your drain will:

• Prevent blockages, sewer backups and equipment failure. "Unflushable" material such a wipes, dental floss, hair, fats, oils and grease don't break down quickly enough in the wastewater system and can damage equipment or get caught inside pipes causing blockages. Damaged equipment or blockages can cause sewer backups as well as overflow into homes, businesses and the environment.
• Save money. Removing blockages, fixing damaged equipment and cleaning up sewer backup events is time consuming and expensive. 
• Protect the environment. Wastewater treatment cannot remove all contaminants. Contaminants that are not removed by the treatment process will enter the environment. 

What Goes Where

Enter the item below to learn if the item goes into your green bin, garbage or if it can be taken back to a depot.

Best Practices for Fats, Oils and Grease Disposal in the Green Bin

Scrape small amounts left over on plates, pots and pans into your green bin before washing.

Need to dispose of large amounts of used cooking oil? Try putting small amounts in your green bin every day until you have disposed of the entire amount. Only put in what can be absorbed by the contents of your green bin (fuller green bins can absorb more liquids than emptier ones). Excess liquids in the green bin can cause problems further down the line, as the trucks that collect green bins are not designed to handle liquids.

The Unflushables

"The Unflushables" is the concept and creative courtesy of Metro Vancouver.