Pictures: Pauline Dennigan
Secondary school students in Killarney are playing an active role in a new Think Before You Flush campaign to prevent damage to the environment by flushing wipes down the toilet this Halloween.
The initiative, operated by Clean Coasts in partnership with Irish Water, stresses that when waste items, like wet wipes and sanitary items, are flushed, they can reappear in the form of ugly fatbergs.
The organisers said halting the unacceptable practice of flushing these items, will help scare away the “wet wipe monster” that threatens our wastewater system, beaches, and marine environment.
Students from St Brigid’s Presentation Secondary School gathered in Killarney National Park to scare the monster out of the community and to highlight the Think Before You Flush project.
Historically, the flushing of wipes constituted the most common items causing blockages in the wastewater network, leading to environmental pollution. Since 2018 there has been a positive 38 per cent reduction in people flushing wipes down the toilet but more than one in 10 people still admit to doing so.
Ian O’Mahony ofIrish Water said: “The Think Before You Flush campaign is a fantastic way to increase awareness and education, especially among the younger generation who are so open to changing behaviour and influencing others in their family to do same”.
Join the campaign at https://thinkbeforeyouflush.
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