Cornwall Council supports SAS ‘Think before you flush’ campaign
7:10am Sunday 20th May 2012 in Truro
Cornwall Council has given its backing to a Surfers Against Sewage campaign raising awareness of the simple steps people can take to help protect the marine environment.
Stickers promoting the ‘Think before you flush’ campaign will be displayed in public toilets throughout Cornwall. The campaign, which was launched in Porthleven, home to Cornwall's most famous, and best surf break, highlights the health and environmental problems caused by flushing items down the toilet that should be disposed of in other ways.
“I am pleased we have been able to support this campaign as it provides a reminder of the impact our actions can have,” said Councillor Steve Double, Cornwall Council portfolio holder for environment, waste and shared services.
“We are blessed with a beautiful coastline and all want to keep it that way. This campaign is a great reminder that even if you don’t live near the coast, you can still have a detrimental effect on Cornwall’s beaches.”
Larger items such as sanitary items and nappies block sewage screens, pumps and pipes within sewage treatment works, reducing the flow and effectiveness of the system. This can result in sewage overflows onto our beaches and into our rivers through combined sewer overflows, or even into our homes and gardens as the system overloads.
Andy Cummins, SAS campaign director, said; “We are stoked to have Cornwall Council support our Think Before You Flush campaign. Our beaches are precious to many of us. We can all make small changes in our behaviour to better protect our beaches from raw sewage discharges and prevent unsightly sanitary waste washing up on the next tideline. Simply think before you flush, and never use the toilet to dispose of sanitary products.”
For more information about the Think before you flush campaign, visit www.sas.org.uk.
