Bag it and bin it

Woman flushing cotton buds down the toilet

Bag it and bin it - don't flush it

Did you know?
  • A staggering 300 million items of sanitary waste are flushed down Scottish toilets every year.
  • The waste water drain which runs from your house is just 4 inches wide, and it's only designed for human waste and toilet roll.
  • Sanitary waste can cause blockages and damage screens that are used to filter out waste.
  • Disposing items of sanitary waste can escape polluting rivers and beaches. This causes a health risk, harms wildlife and can be awful to look at too.

What can be flushed:

  • Human waste
  • Toilet paper (not too much and not the moist, extra strong type)

Never flush:

  • Sanitary items - towels, tampons, applicators, panty liners, backing strips, etc
  • Disposable nappies, liners and baby wipes
  • All wipes, including baby, bathroom and toilet
  • Incontinence pads
  • Condoms and femidoms
  • Cotton buds and cotton wool
  • Razors and toothbrushes
  • Contact lenses 
  • Colostomy bags and incontinence pads
  • Used bandages and plasters
  • Syringes and needles
  • Medicines

The best way to dispose of personal items:

  • Sanitary towels, tampons and panty liners - bag it and bin it.
  • Condoms, incontinence pads and used bandages and plasters - bag it and bin it.
  • Disposable nappies, liners and all wipes - bag it and bin it.
  • Razor blades - in a solid container and bin it.
  • Take syringes and needles to a needle bank (ask your GP where your nearest is located).
  • Return medicines and contraceptives to your local pharmacy.

Help us to help you


You can make a difference, by doing a little you can help a lot. Just bag it and bin it and you won't meet your waste again, and you'll be doing your bit to help protect your natural environment.
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Bag it and bin it leaflet

03/04/2012
348 KB PDF
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How to properly dispose of your household rubbish.
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Bag it and bin it poster

04/04/2012
296 KB PDF
Preview | Download
How to properly dispose of your household rubbish.