You probably have a bin in your kitchen, but what about one for the toilet or bathroom? If not, let us convince you why you want one. 

Icon Water’s iconic ‘Free the Poo’ campaign has hit the streets again, this time tackling the flushing of sanitary products. We know that sanitary products are getting into wastewater pipes and contributing to blockages. We’ve also heard from plumbers that these blockages don’t always make it that far, causing expensive fixes for homeowners and businesses alike.

So, what’s that got to do with bins? We wanted to find out why people were flushing sanitary items, and we asked them. Survey says … ‘because there wasn’t anywhere else to put them’ – 41per cent. Nearly half of those who said they flushed a sanitary item did it because there was no bin.

It makes sense. It’s not something you want to make a fuss about, especially if you’re at a friend’s place or out shopping. That’s why Icon Water is not just educating the public about what these items are doing to the city’s plumbing, but also working with shopping centres and facilities managers to encourage bins in bathrooms.

Did you know that one in four Australians suffer from incontinence? Many will use sanitary products and face this dilemma if disposal options are not available.

It’s something to consider, even if you’re in a group house of people who don’t regularly use these products, that you will probably have visitors at some point, and it’s something you can do to be considerate of others. Every sanitary item that is flushed has to be removed by hand somewhere along the line before it reaches the treatment plant. Every single one. A simple bin next to your toilet can save your plumbing, save the network from outages, which we all end up paying for, and it can also save your guests from an awkward situation.