Why is it bad to flush tampons down a toilet, when they are smaller than the average turd and biodegradable?

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I have always wondered why it’s so bad to flush a tampon. I know tampons blow up a bit when wet, but even when fully saturated, they don’t get as big as a large turd. And they are generally made of cotton, not plastic, so surely they will break down well enough? Thanks.

EDIT TO ADD: I am not saying I flush tampons! I don’t. I just wanted to make sure there’s a good reason for it.

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8 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

First, “tampon” means “something that you use to block something”. It’s literally a plug and will serve that function well in the sewer.

Basically paper and your excrement turn into mush pretty much immediately. It all mixes up and becomes brown/black water that easily slides down the sewers. Food from garbage disposal is also ok since it is both compostable and very tiny.

You take a big ole thing of cotton and guess what happens? Stuff sticks to it. Ever hear of a fatberg? They are real and cause big problems in cities.

TLDR; your bath/shower water, very light paper, poo, pee, water, and ground up food are ok. Anything else is bad.

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