The Environmental Impact of Flushing Period Products: What You Need to Know
Every day in the UK, 2.5 million tampons and 1.4 million pads are flushed down toilets. That's nearly 4 million period products disappearing down drains — out of sight, out of mind. But what happens next has consequences that reach far beyond our bathrooms.
From blocked sewers costing £100 million a year to period products washing up on British beaches, the environmental impact of flushing is significant — and entirely preventable. Here's what you need to know, and how one small change can make a real difference.
The Scale of the Problem
Let's start with the numbers, because they're genuinely startling.
In the UK alone:
- 2.5 million tampons are flushed every single day
- 1.4 million pads are flushed every single day
- 700,000 panty liners are flushed every single day
- That adds up to 1.5–2 billion period products flushed per year
These aren't products designed to break down in water. In fact, they're engineered to do the opposite — to absorb liquid and hold their shape. Which is exactly what makes them so problematic once they enter our sewers.
Why Do People Flush?
Research by phs Group found that over half of people who flush tampons are unaware they shouldn't. Many assume that if something goes down the toilet, it must be fine.
But here's the uncomfortable truth: 44% of people who flush tampons know they shouldn't — and do it anyway.
The reasons are understandable:
- Lack of bins — many public toilets don't have sanitary bins in cubicles
- Embarrassment — flushing feels more discreet than binning
- Convenience — it's quick and the product disappears immediately
- Confusion — some people genuinely believe tampons are flushable
None of these reasons change what happens once that product enters the sewer system.
What Happens When You Flush?
When you flush a tampon or pad, it doesn't magically dissolve. Unlike toilet paper, which is designed to break apart in water within minutes, period products are engineered for absorption and structural integrity.
Here's the journey:
Stage 1: Your Pipes
Tampons expand when wet. Pads absorb water and swell. Both can snag on joins in your household pipes, accumulating over time until water can't pass freely. The result? Backed-up drains, flooding, and expensive plumber call-outs.
Stage 2: The Sewer Network
Products that make it past your home enter the public sewer system — a network of pipes, pumps, and treatment works. Here they mix with fats, oils, grease, and wet wipes to form fatbergs: massive, rock-hard blockages that can weigh as much as a blue whale.
Thames Water alone clears 75,000 blockages per year at a cost of £18 million annually. Across the UK, sewer blockages cost water companies an estimated £100 million every year to repair.
In 2025, engineers removed a 100-tonne fatberg from beneath Feltham in West London — the equivalent of eight double-decker buses, lurking ten metres below street level. It took more than a month to clear.
Period products are a key ingredient in these blockages. Water UK research found that wipes and period products contribute to 93% of sewer blockages.
Stage 3: Overflow into Rivers and Seas
When sewers become overwhelmed — whether by blockages, heavy rainfall, or both — they overflow. This is called a combined sewer overflow (CSO), and it releases untreated sewage directly into rivers and coastal waters.
That means period products end up in our waterways. From there, they wash onto beaches, break down into microplastics, and enter marine ecosystems.
Period Products on Our Beaches
This isn't theoretical. It's measurable.
The Marine Conservation Society reports that on average, 4.8 pieces of menstrual waste are found per 100 metres of beach cleaned. That breaks down to roughly:
- 4 pads, panty liners, or backing strips
- At least 1 tampon and applicator
Per 100 metres. On beaches across the UK.
Period products are now the fifth most common item found on European beaches — more prevalent than single-use coffee cups, cutlery, or straws.
The Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup reported collecting nearly 18,000 used tampons and applicators from beaches around the world in a single day back in 2004. Given population growth and plastic production increases since then, the real figure today is likely far higher.
The Plastic Problem
Here's something many people don't realise: conventional period products contain a lot of plastic.
- Pads can contain up to 90% plastic — from the waterproof backing to the top sheet to the absorbent core
- A pack of 14 pads contains the equivalent of 5 plastic carrier bags
- Tampons contain plastic in the applicator, the string, and often within the absorbent core itself
- Tampon applicators are made from polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) — the same plastics used in packaging
This plastic doesn't biodegrade. A single pad can take 500–800 years to break down — and even then, it doesn't disappear. It simply fragments into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics.
Microplastics: The Invisible Threat
Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than 5mm. They're now found in:
- Ocean water at every depth
- Beach sand
- Fish and shellfish
- Drinking water
- Human blood and organs
When period products break down in landfill or the ocean, they contribute to this growing crisis. Marine animals ingest these particles, mistaking them for food. The plastics accumulate in their tissues — and eventually enter the human food chain.
Scientists estimate that humans may be consuming up to 11,000 microplastic particles per year from seafood alone. Crabs in the River Thames have been found with period pad plastic in their stomachs.
The Carbon Footprint
The environmental impact extends beyond disposal.
The production of conventional period products requires:
- Fossil fuels — plastics are derived from petroleum
- Water — cotton cultivation is notoriously water-intensive
- Energy — manufacturing, bleaching, and packaging all require power
- Transport — products are shipped globally
Research by the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm found that the largest environmental impact of tampons comes from plastic applicators and the plastic backing strips on pads — both made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE) produced from fossil fuels.
A year's worth of disposable period products has an estimated carbon footprint of 5.3 kg CO2 equivalents. That might sound small individually, but multiply it by millions of menstruating people and decades of use, and the collective impact is substantial.
The Lifetime Numbers
The average person who menstruates will use approximately 11,000–17,000 disposable period products in their lifetime.
That translates to:
- Up to 200 kg of period product waste per person
- Over 200,000 tonnes of period product waste generated annually in the UK alone
- Products that will outlast the person who used them by centuries
When Catherine of Aragon was Queen of England 500 years ago, modern plastic hadn't been invented. If she had used today's disposable pads, they would still be sitting in landfill — or floating in the ocean — right now.
The Hidden Costs
Beyond the environmental damage, there are real financial costs to flushing:
- £100 million per year spent by UK water companies clearing sewer blockages
- £18 million per year spent by Thames Water alone
- Higher water bills for all customers to cover maintenance
- Plumber call-outs for households with blocked drains
- Emergency repairs when sewage backs up into homes
When unflushable items go down the drain, everyone pays — literally.
What Can You Do?
The good news is that this problem is entirely preventable. The solution is simple: bin, don't flush.
Step 1: Never Flush Period Products
No tampon, pad, panty liner, or applicator should ever go down the toilet. Ever.
The only things that should be flushed are the three Ps: pee, poo, and (toilet) paper. Everything else belongs in the bin.
Step 2: Make Binning Easy and Discreet
One of the main reasons people flush is embarrassment about binning. FabLittleBag solves this problem.
FabLittleBag is a disposal bag designed specifically for period products:
- Opens with one hand — practical when you need your other hand free
- Opaque — no one can see the contents
- Seals shut — contains odour and prevents leaks
- Compact — fits in a pocket, handbag, or gym bag
- Made sustainably — 60% sugarcane, 30% recycled plastic, 10% cornstarch
With FabLittleBag, binning is just as quick and discreet as flushing — but without the environmental damage.
Step 3: Advocate for Better Facilities
Lack of sanitary bins is a major barrier to proper disposal, especially in public toilets. If you notice missing bins:
- Report it to venue management
- Request bins in workplaces, schools, and sports facilities
- Support campaigns for better period provision in public spaces
Everyone deserves access to proper disposal facilities.
Step 4: Consider Your Product Choices
While this blog focuses on disposal, it's worth mentioning that product choice also matters:
- Organic cotton products have a lower plastic content
- Cardboard applicators or applicator-free tampons reduce plastic waste
- Reusable options like menstrual cups, discs, or period underwear eliminate disposable waste entirely
Whatever products you use, proper disposal makes a difference.
Converting Flushers to Binners
At FabLittleBag, our mission is simple: convert flushers to binners.
We're not here to shame anyone for past habits. We're here to provide a practical, dignified solution that makes the right choice the easy choice.
Founded by Martha Silcott, FabLittleBag was created because she saw the problem firsthand and wanted to fix it. We've now sold over 5 million bags globally — that's 5 million period products properly disposed of instead of flushed.
Every bag used is:
- One less product in our sewers
- One less potential blockage
- One less piece of waste on our beaches
- One small step toward cleaner oceans
What About Businesses and Organisations?
If you manage washrooms in a workplace, school, sports club, hotel, or public venue, you have a key role to play.
Providing FabLittleBag dispensers in toilet cubicles:
- Encourages proper disposal
- Reduces plumbing issues
- Demonstrates commitment to sustainability
- Supports staff and visitors who menstruate
We work with organisations across the UK through our Period Supportive Movement initiative — helping workplaces, schools, and sports clubs create period-positive environments.
Interested in bulk orders or workplace solutions? Get in touch at hello@fablittlebag.com.
The Bottom Line
Flushing period products might feel convenient in the moment, but the consequences are far-reaching:
- Blocked sewers costing £100 million a year to clear
- Fatbergs weighing as much as blue whales
- Sewage overflows polluting rivers and coastlines
- Period products on beaches — the fifth most common item found
- Microplastics entering marine ecosystems and the food chain
- 500–800 years for a single pad to break down
The solution is simple: bin, don't flush.
And with FabLittleBag, binning is just as easy, just as discreet, and far better for the planet.
Ready to make the switch? Shop FabLittleBag — discreet disposal bags that seal shut, made from sustainable materials.
Want to bring FabLittleBag to your workplace, school, or venue? Contact us at hello@fablittlebag.com.