Memorandum by the National Bag It and
Bin It Campaign (EL 03)
THE IMPACT OF CONSUMER PRODUCTS ON THE AQUATIC
ENVIRONMENT
The Bag It and Bin It campaign is an environmental
awareness initiative that aims to encourage people, particularly
women between the ages of 15-45, not to flush items such as sanitary
products, condoms and cotton buds down the toilet, but to bag
them and bin them instead. Despite the investment in sewage treatment
by the Water industry, these items are still sometimes able to
pass through sewage treatment works, ending up polluting riverbanks
and beaches.
It is estimated that 2.5 million tampons, 1.4
million sanitary towels and 0.7 million panty liners are flushed
every day.[1]
The disposal of these items into the waste water
system causes problems for operators through blockages, increased
need for sewer maintenance and increased loads to treatment works.
It also impacts on the environment via overflow discharges and
escape through filtration screens.
The Bag It and Bin It campaign is "steered"
by a National Group, whose members include:
— Women's Environment Network.
— Surfers Against Sewage.
— National Households Hazardous Waster
Forum.
— Marine Conservation Society.
— Absorbent Hygiene Product Manufacturers
Association.
— EPC Environmental Services.
— Department of the Environment, Transport
and the Regions.
RAISING AWARENESS
By raising public awareness through media activity,
a web site, campaign office, newsletter and by encouraging the
use of the logo on packaging, the campaign has contributed to
the 60 per cent reduction in sewage related debris on Britain's
beaches (Marine Conservation Society/Reader Digest Beachwatch
Surveys 1996, 1997, 1998).
CAMPAIGN SUCCESS
— Over 700 media features.
— Over half a million leaflets and
stickers distributed.
— Support from all leading retailers
and key manufacturers.
— Awareness went from 0 per cent to
13 per cent in the first eight months alone (MORI).
PARTNERSHIP WITH
RETAILERS AND
MANUFACTURERS—ECO-LABELLING
Manufacturers and retailers are encouraged to
support the campaign by including the campaign logo and/or correct
disposal massages on products that consumers might flush.
Currently, the type of products that carry the
logo include: tampons, sanitary towels, panty liners, condoms,
nappies, razors and cotton buds. The logo is printed on over
100,000 toilet stickers, 700,000 disposal units, 45 million products
and packaging for 80 million disposal bags and a wide range
of manufacturers and retailers back the campaign including: Tesco,
Asda, Sainsbury, Safeway, Co-op, Johnson & Johnson and Smith
& Nephew.
EVALUATION METHODS
The success of the campaign is measured through
evaluation of the key messages in the target media, the number
of "hits" to the web site, the number of requests for
information and through the MCS/Reader's Digest Beachwatch Survey.
However, the Bag It and Bin It campaign has
not yet researched the impact of the logo on packaging compared
to the other communication methods.
CONFUSING MESSAGES
Unfortunately, a number of the largest manufacturers
of sanitary protection do not currently back the campaign. In
fact the messages on the packaging can led to confusion e.g.,
Tampax respects the environment, Tampax Satin tampons, applicators
and wrappers are biodegradable and can be flushed down the toilet
if there is not litter bin.
University of Abertay, Wastewater Technology
Centre is currently involved in research into lifecycle analysis
of these types of products. The only information that exists into
"biodegrade time" is held by the manufacturers. The
National Bag It and Bin It campaign would argue that having used
tampons on beaches and riverbanks at all is not acceptable even
if it is only from the time it takes for them to biodegrade.
COTTON BUDS
Aside from sanitary protection, the other problem
is the cotton bud. Because of their size and shape, cotton buds
can pass through screens at sewage treatment works and out into
the environment. Many cotton buds are made of polypropylene, which
persists in the environment. The rigid stems can also damage screens
enabling larger items to pass through.
The best known brand in the cotton bud market,
Johnson and Johnson and the leading own-label supplier, Toiletry
Sales, support the campaign through the use of the logo on their
products.
The Bag It and Bin It Campaign has contacted
manufacturers to discuss the use of the logo and/or changing to
a biodegradable material for the stems.
So far the response has been poor. Despite the
technology existing to make the sticks from cornstarch, there
is little incentive because of the increased cost. The campaign
recently contacted a retailer, who had changed from paper sticks
to polypropylene. Their reasoning was that the paper sticks in
the damp environment of a bathroom could harbour dangerous microbiological
organisms.
EDUCATION
The leading manufacturers of sanitary protection
have in-school programmes during which young girls are taught
about menstruation, however, there is little evidence to suggest
that when teenagers are taught about menstruation they are taught
about correct disposal.
In order to have a long-term impact on the flushing
habits of the national, the campaign would ideally include a strong
educational element. However, budgetary constraints currently
restrict this.
SUSTAINABILITY
A joint research programme, undertaken by the
Wastewater Technology Centre at the University of Abertay, Dundee,
in association with the three Scottish Water Authorities, the
Universities of Westminster and Coventry and Imperial College
of Science, Technology and Medicine, has been investigating the
relative sustainability (in a holistic sense) of disposal via
the solid water route compared to the waste water route. The results
of this study will be available in January.
WITNESSES
Dr Stephen Bird, Bag It and Bin It Campaign Chairman
Sarah Harris, Bag It and Bin It Campaign
Dr Nicola Souter, University of Abertay
Samantha Pollard, Marine Conservation Society
Chris Hines, Surfers Against Sewage
Ann Link, Women's Environmental Network
Phillip Barnes, Absorbent Hygiene Product Manufacturers
Association
Gareth Morgan, National Household Hazardous Waste
Forum
1 Source: University of Abertay, Waste Water Technology
Centre (see also "Think Before You Flush, People's attitude
and a methodology for change" University of Abertay October
1998.) Back
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