Pollution, Fatbergs and foul waste flooding. What do these all have in common? They are all the product of blocked sewers and drains and can have devastating effects on the environment.
So this year, led by your Green Ambassador, we will be taking part in Unblocktober and taking the pledge to change our habits at home and work to help save our environment. Unblocktober is a national campaign to raise awareness about the types of items we're disposing of down our drains and how your small changes can have a big impact on the environment. The campaign challenges us to make a change to our kitchen and bathroom habits, both at home and at work, to help save the health of our sewers and seas.
There are 16 items that we should commit to not putting down our sinks and loos and they include items such as cotton buds, period care products, and fats and oils. Disposing of these items incorrectly can also lead to an increase in plastic pollution which is at a critical point. Many of the items on the list contain hidden plastics menaing they aren't biodegradable and putting them in our sewers increases the chances of them ending up in our seas and riverways. The health of our sewers and seas are in your hands!
You can sign up to the #Unblocktober challenge over on their website and take the pledge with us!
Thames Water, an Unblocktober supporter and service provider for High Wycombe, spend an average of £18 million a year clearing away blockages and fatbergs. Wet wipes are a big problem in our sewers. Fats aren’t fantastic and your leftovers? Not so lovely. We should avoid putting all food, from gravy to crumbs, down the drain and instead scrape it all off into the bin. Unblocktober have shared a great kitchen helper when it comes to food in the sink over on their Instagram.
Along with encouraging us to be a sewper hero, Thames Water are also encouring us to be water smart and think about our water usage. They even have some incredible freebies you can order to help you cut down on your water waste.