Is it Okay to Dump Chemical down the Drain or toilet?

Is it ok to put chemicals down the toilet?

It’s more than likely that we’ve all made the decision to flush something down the toilet and dump something down a drain or toilet that maybe shouldn’t have gone there. Cleaning supplies, cosmetics, and medicines often make their ways into our drains if only because it’s easier to get them out of our lives that way. Unfortunately, this could be doing much more damage than good. If you’re in London, the problem could be more than yours in the long run. Indeed, even if this issue doesn’t require an emergency plumber, London (and eventually yourself) might end up paying the consequences.

This is largely because the contaminants you’re throwing down the drain have the opportunity to infect the water supply for everyone. Most water filtration systems aren’t designed to remove medications, cosmetics, or the chemicals from many cleaning supplies. Thus, it’s more than likely that your innocuous prescription drug dump down the drain will end up affecting a wide range of people down the line. Any of these contaminants will also end up affecting aquatic animals and the underwater habitat at large. Thus, it’s important to know exactly what you’re doing when you dump something down a drain or flush it down the toilet.

Again, this won’t cause you to ring up an emergency plumber; London will just have to pay the price if that’s indeed where you live. If you imagine all the cumulative effects that toxins have on the water supply, then it’s easy to see why many environmental organizations urge citizens to dispose of their chemicals safely.

There really are no prescribed guidelines for disposing of these things, but it’s certain that you shouldn’t use the drain or the toilet to get rid of your contaminants. If you have prescription medication, you might want to ask your pharmacy about the right way to get rid of it. If they don’t have an answer for you, then take caution by taping up the bottle in which the medication was stored before tossing it in the trash. This makes it less likely to harm the environment even in a landfill.

Any liquid medications or cosmetics could be dumped into coffee grounds prior to throwing them into the trash. This provides for a certain unique repellent to animals and humans, but the grounds also work to absorb all the contaminants. For liquid cleaners, you could fill up a one-gallon jug of milk about halfway with kitty litter. Then, pour the remaining liquid into the container. This could also be done for liquid medications and cosmetics. Disposing things the right way is the only way to ensure a certain environmental-friendliness. In any event, while you might avoid a call to the emergency plumber, London might not be so lucky.