Human waste and toilet paper should be the only things going down the toilet. Unfortunately, we find an assortment of flushed items that belong in the trash, like medications, sanitary products, deceased pet fish and cigarette butts. Flushing these types of items down the toilet causes home pipes to clog, wastes water (up to 5 gallons of water every time you flush) and can have a huge impact on our sewers and the ocean. Below is a list of items that people commonly flush that should not be going down the toilet:

Baby Wipes, Sanitary Products, Paper Towels, Diapers and Facial Tissues—are made of materials that don't break down and commonly cause pipes to clog. 

Prescription Drugs, Over-The-Counter Medications —contain chemicals that shouldn't enter the wastewater supply. Keep in mind that sewage is treated and recycled, and these chemicles could affect our processes. The best way to dispose of items like these is to crush them and then mix with coffee grounds, kitty litter or dirt before sealing them in a plastic bag and disposing of them in the trash. 

Kitty Litter— (especially clay kitty litter) will eventually clog your pipes, even the ones that claim to be "flushable." Far more problematic is Toxoplasmosis, a parasite found in cat waste that is harmful to marine biology. Please keep cat waste out of wastewater and put it in the trash.

Household Hazardous Materials—such as motor oil, pesticides, paint and solvents should never be poured down the drain. All of these are highly toxic and will cause longterm damage to the environment. Dispose of these items at the nearest household hazardous waste collection.