alot of them wind up in the ocean and get washed up on shore?
2006-10-01 03:17:07 · 14 answers · asked by kardea 4 in Social Science ➔ Gender Studies
they do get flushed....when I walk on the shore each day tampon applicators are what I see most
2006-10-01 03:28:21 · update #1
I never knew that. You learn something new everyday. Gross.
2006-10-01 03:34:15 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Commercial tampon manufacturers market their tampons as flushable and women assume the applicators are as well, either that or they simply do not care. Tampons are a big environmental problem and most do not realize that tampons themselves are not flushable, you would think this is common sense – absorbent wads of material will not break up in water and will block up pipes, there are sanitary bins provided for a reason. Yet it is not just tampons or tampon applicators either, people really are stupid enough to flush pads, condoms, and a load of other odd things down the toilet.
As for the person who says they are not from tampons and tampon applicators being flushed I can assure you they are. Tampons and applicators make their way through the sewage treatment plants, no matter how sophisticated those plants are, Beachwatch do a survey every year in Britain – In the UK in 2001 they found more than 14 pads, and 4 tampon applicators per kilometre of beach, directly from women flushing these products. There is also an artist in Australia I think who makes art out of all the applicators as a protest.
It costs water companies BILLIONS to sort out the problems flushed tampons, pads, applicators, etc. cause, that is on top of the billions it costs to dispose of them the correct way, the billions in environmental damage commercial tampons cause and the billions it costs in health bills from the health risks tampons cause.
...simply, it is just not something women think about because they are taught/brainwashed into not thinking about or discussing menstruation or the issues involved.
http://www.bagandbin.org
http://www.wen.org.uk/sanpro
http://www.adoptabeach.org.uk
2006-10-01 09:48:00 · answer #2 · answered by Kasha 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
If tampon applicators are washing up on shore, that means everything else that went down the toilet is in the ocean too. There could be another problem here. There's a possibility that some trash company is dumping their garbage offshore somewhere, but the most likely thing is maybe sewage is being dumped from personal boats.
And one other thing... why are they called applicators? They should be called inserters!
2006-10-01 04:15:34 · answer #3 · answered by Kate 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I don't use tampons with applicators unless I'm forced to buy them from a machine or something, and then I put them in the trash bins that are provided for such things.
I totally don't get why people need applicators. It's not that hard to figure out where it goes. We really need to reduce the amount of trash we produce on this planet. It's staggering.
2006-10-01 03:27:36 · answer #4 · answered by Sister Di 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Those are not from people flushing them raw sewage is treated before discharge. But there are garbage barges that take the trash from the city out to sea then they just dump it. Thats where those pesky plastic applicators come from. Not from menstrating fish as my wife thought. Personally I enjoy collecting the ones I find. I sell them to tourists as hair rollers. Hey on this lil island you must remain resourcefull
2006-10-01 04:43:32 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
I thought they clogged up the pipes and caused stops so that you can't use the toilet or so that the waste water flushes right back at you. My sister did that and her home smelled like a sewer for days.
2006-10-01 03:26:57 · answer #6 · answered by Forlorn Hope 6 · 5⤊ 0⤋
What retarded females flush their plastic applicators? I didn't know there was anyone so ignorant.
2006-10-01 05:43:54 · answer #7 · answered by gg 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Yeah thats why i through mine in the garbage
2006-10-01 10:45:48 · answer #8 · answered by Angel B 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I never flush mine!! It's not good for your potty.
2006-10-01 03:25:48 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
wow! all the times I have been to the beach I have never seen one!
Amazing!
2006-10-01 05:05:05 · answer #10 · answered by helpme1 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋