Healthy Home – Waste disposal advice
February 28th 2024, by SamM
It’s important to be mindful of how you dispose of your waste, as it can lead to costly and inconvenient repairs.
Drain blockages can cause damage to pipes and prevent water from draining correctly. Occasionally, engineers will have to spend weeks using high-powered water jets and hand tools to break down rock-like heaps which block sewers and drains. Thames Water suggests that many of these blockages are caused by items like wet wipes, sanitary items, and cotton pads that can’t break down. When these items combine with cooking fats and oils, they eventually block pipes, forcing raw sewage back up drains, plugholes, and toilets into homes.
To help prevent this, please do not put any of the following down your drains:
- Paper towels – these can expand and block pipes, make sure you only put toilet paper down the toilet as this will break down.
- Coffee grounds – these won’t dissolve and can block pipes.
- Medication – take this to a pharmacy instead.
- Wipes – even if they are flushable, they can block drains as they take a long time to break down. Pop these in the bin instead of flushing and make sure you only flush toilet paper.
- Sanitary products & condoms – these don’t break down and can harm the environment if not disposed of properly.
- Oil – this can solidify, causing blockages. Instead, wait for the oil to cool and pop it in a jar, or a bit of foil before putting in the bin.
- Food – use a strainer to catch any food waste and pop this in the bin.
- Paint – this can be toxic to the environment and should be disposed of according to the item label.
For more information on properly disposing of waste in your area, check with your local authority.
If you need to report a blockage, please contact Axis on 0800 056 7068 or by email on ccharepairs@axiseurope.com.
Please note, if ccha attend to sort out a drain or toilet blockage and it is found that waste has been disposed on incorrectly, you may be recharged for the call out.