Bizarre items flushed down the toilet daily are blocking sewage pipes and spoiling our beaches.

Research from Keep Britain Tidy released today (Friday June 22nd) revealed that objects including rope, wood, razor blades, cigarette stubs and sanitary products have been flushed down the nation's lavatories in the past year.

When 'foreign' household waste reaches the sewerage plant it can block filter screens, and if there is heavy rainfall, waste may be washed into overflow pipes and end up in rivers or the sea. Not only does this pose a potentially fatal threat to wildlife, but it can also wash up onto beaches littering the country's shores.

“The study showed that many people falsely believe our sewage system is more robust than European counterparts, so they flush anything down the toilet without thinking about the consequences,” said Alan Woods, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy.

“Items like sanitary products, condoms and facial wipes belong in the bin and should not be flushed down the toilet.”

Over half the population admitted to flushing items down the toilet instead of putting them in the bin last year. They confessed to an array of reasons why: 17% of people are embarrassed about putting things like sanitary products and condoms in a bin, hygiene was an issue for 47% of people, 22% are concerned about the smell of 'messy' items such as nappies and were worried that their children may get hold of those things from the bin. Most said they do not feel guilty about their flushing habits and just see it as a convenient way to dispose of difficult items.

Barrie Clarke, Director of Communication at Water UK said: “A blocked toilet isn't at all funny and a blocked sewer is even worse if the neighbours are affected. It's definitely in everyone's interests to use the loo for its real purpose. The message is: Think before your flush.

“Water and sewerage companies have spent an estimated £25 billion since privatisation in 1989 on water quality and environmental programs including improving the sewerage system in England and Wales.”

Each year councils are spending £14 million to clear our beaches of rubbish - much of this from waste disposed of down toilets.

To find out more about what not to flush visit www.bagandbin.org. The full research into this report can be found at www.keepbritaintidy.org.

For further information

Please contact the Emma Brennan, Laura Butcher or Elaine Bennett in the Keep Britain Tidy press office on 01942 612617/634/688 or email press@encams.org. There is an extended hours service operating between 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday on 07768 880016.

Keep Britain Tidy and Water UK are offering journalists and broadcasters the chance to visit sewage treatment plants around the country where a spokesperson can show them round. Call 01942 612617 for more details.

Please note we have ISDN facilities available for radio interviews.

Notes to editors

Keep Britain Tidy is the anti-litter campaign run by ENCAMS, an independent charity. It is also responsible for the Blue Flag beach awards in England, Quality Coast Award and environmental education programme Eco-Schools.

Frequently flushed including percentage of inappropriately flushed items

• Sanitary products, 24%
• Cigarette stubs, 12%
• Cotton wool, 10%
• Facial cleansing wipes, 7%
• Plasters and medicines, 5%
• Sanitary backing strips, 3%
• Toilet roll tubes, 2%
• String, 1%

And the less frequent but more bizarre...

• Bandages
• Polystyrene
• Plastic cups
• Incontinence pads
• Fast food containers
• Razor blades
• Colostomy bags
• Cloth
• Rope
• Metal
• Foam/sponge
• Glass
• Pieces of wood
• Towelling nappies

Further flushing facts

• 57% of people have flushed 'foreign' items down the loo in the past year
• women are the worst flushers with 79% of ladies lavishing lavs with the wrong things
• 65% males have ever flushed the foreign items down the toilet
• 37% of people falsely believe that our sewage system is more robust than European counterparts
• although litter from sewage only makes up a small proportion of rubbish at the seaside - it is the most offensive
• Most people claim to flush objects down the loo as they have no awareness of the consequences
• Sewers are designed to take away waste water from sinks and baths, toilet paper and human waste flushed down the toilet, and rainwater which runs into road drains.