18/10/2022
Unblocktober is a month-long national awareness campaign to educate and encourage people to think twice about what they flush down the loo, pour down the sink or wash into storm drains.
All-Ireland Director of The Rivers Trust Mark Horton said: “Unblocktober is a great initiative that reminds us that, through our consumer choices and daily actions, we have the power to protect our environment.
“Many people are doing simple things at home every day and not even realising the negative impact it has on our natural water resources. Millions upon millions of us have been putting dangerous liquids and items into our drainage systems and sewers that can lead to untold damage to the environment around us.
“Improper disposal of non-biodegradable waste, multiplied by every consumer and business, leads to massive plastic pollution resulting in drain blockages, fatbergs, chemical poisoning of water courses and flooding. It costs the public purse millions every year to clean raw water extracted from lakes and rivers so that we can drink it. So, it’s a very high price to pay for many reasons.”
Approximately 8 million pieces of plastic end up in our seas and rivers every day, including disposable face masks, nappies, period care products, plastic bags, contact lenses, straws, plasters, vapes, and cotton buds. Some of these plastics can take over 500 years to break down and are therefore causing future problems in the already stressed drainage system. While thousands of homes and businesses are flooded every year due to a build-up of fats and chemicals in drains that have been poured down sinks in both homes and businesses.
“When it comes to adding pollutants to water, out of sight does not mean out of mind,” Mark said.
“The water we depend on for our domestic and professional lives, as well as our human health, moves in a constant cycle. Data has shown that pollution in our water sources is increasing year-on-year. In fact, last year was the worst for marine litter in Northern Ireland since records began in 2012.”
Fatbergs have become an increasingly common and costly problem in towns and cities across Northern Ireland, particularly where there is a concentration of pubs, restaurants and fast-food outlets. In 2017, contractors had to move a massive fatberg under Belfast’s Dublin Road and it took 10 days to clear the blockage. On that occasion, NI Water removed a couple of hundred tons of waste, such was the scale of the issue. Last year, a major operation was again needed to break down a giant fatberg blocking sewers in Waring Street on the edge of Belfast's bustling Cathedral Quarter.
Mark said: “We all need to play our part and act quickly and decisively to slow and stop ecological and economic damage. We need to change our actions and create new habits if we are to tackle these issues. That means starting at the root of the problem and flushing away our current behaviour.
“The good news is that even small changes in your daily habits can make a big difference when it comes to protecting water quality and your local environment. All we are asking is that during Unblocktober (and beyond) you consider how you are disposing of daily waste. The Rivers Trust would love you and your family to commit to stop flushing or pouring the items listed below down your drains or toilets. You can make a big difference without making a big effort. Think twice before you flush our future water quality down the drain.”
Dispose of waste responsibly and don’t put the following items down the drain:
• Food
• Cooking Oil
• Butter/ Margarine
• Lard
• Cooking sauce
• Wet wipes
• Period products
• Nappies
• Condoms
• Cotton buds
• Contact lenses
• Bandages or plaster
• Razor blades
• Dental floss
• Face masks
• Disposable gloves
