There are some words you never think you’ll have to say at work.Pee, poop, and toilet paper.Yuck.
Bear with me though, because these are important. Those gross words I wrote up there? We call them the three P’s. The idea is that you will only ever flush the three P’s down the toilet – and everything else gets tossed in the trash.When you flush garbage down the toilet, it can clog your pipes and damage the City’s sewer system. Here’s the short list of things you shouldn’t flush: kitty litter, tampons, pads, cotton swabs, cleaning products, medication, cigarettes, paper towels, tissues, baby wipes, bandaids, floss, gum, condoms, and flushable wipes.
I repeat: please do not flush those “flushable” wipes.They are too thick and sturdy to flush. Instead, they actually build up and cause clogs. Throw them in the garbage can.
The bathroom-related lecture is done – let’s move on to the kitchen-related lecture and talk about FOGs.FOGs are fats, oil, and grease. They have a big impact on the environment. If you pour them down the drain or flush them down the toilet, they cool and clog the pipes that take wastewater from your home to the wastewater treatment plant.
Grease buildups can cause major damage to pipes and lead to sewage back-ups.
So, what should you do with FOGs? Cool it, scrape it, and throw it in the garbage bin! Some residents re-use FOGs for cooking and for setting out with birdseed.
I know it can be tricky to remember what goes where. Use the Recycle Coach app for sorting garbage from recycling (it’s free!). City staff are here to help – email us at feedback@cornwall.ca or call 613-930-2787 ext. 0.
