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November 19 is World Toilet Day, and NACWA is marking this occasion with the release of its new Toilets Are Not Trashcans logo:

NACWA announced its Toilets Are Not Trashcans campaign two years ago to focus on reducing the materials that are inappropriately flushed or drained into the sewer system. Products such as wipes, paper towels, feminine hygiene products, and dental floss are often flushed, causing expensive problems for utilities. The draining of FOG (fats, oils, and greases) causes similar problems. In addition, consumer products that are washed or rinsed off down the drain often contain ingredients, such as plastic microbeads and triclosan, that may harm water quality and the environment. Unused pharmaceuticals also may impact the environment when disposed of via the sewer system. The goal of NACWA’s Toilets Are Not Trashcans advocacy is to protect the environment and the pipes, pumps, plants, and personnel of wastewater utilities across the nation by eliminating harmful products when possible and educating the public about proper disposal practices.

The new Toilets Are Not Trashcans logo may be used free of charge for any consumer education materials. NACWA welcomes use of the logo by public utilities, private companies, other associations, or any other entity that is interested in spreading the Toilets Are Not Trashcans message. Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to download this logo. For more information about the Toilets Are Not Trashcans campaign, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Use of Logo for Public Education

Since utilities have no regulatory control over what is flushed or disposed of down the drain in homes, consumer education is a vital component of keeping inappropriate items out of sewer systems. The Toilets Are Not Trashcans logo was developed to provide utilities with a free image to use in their public education campaigns and in conjunction with messages about proper disposal of wipes or any other products that are causing problems for utilities.

Many utilities are already conducting public outreach to address flushing of wipes and FOG. For example, Mount Pleasant Waterworks, a NACWA Member Agency, has joined with other South Carolina utilities to educate their ratepayers about proper disposal of wipes and FOG. Utilities have taken advantage of the free advertising space on their utility trucks – which are visible in the community on a daily basis – to deliver “Wipes Clog Pipes” and “Fight FOG” messages, as shown on the Mount Pleasant Waterworks webpage. Mount Pleasant Waterworks also uses these messages at community events and on social media, and the utility has received positive feedback from the public about the education campaign.

The NACWA Toilets Are Not Trashcans logo can be used by utilities, or any other entities interested in carrying this message, for similar public education efforts, with none of the restrictions that may accompany commercially available advertising materials. The Toilets Are Not Trashcans logo is available in various electronic formats, and utilities are able to customize messages to accompany the logo. NACWA is interested in learning if templates for public education materials – such as toilet stickers or pamphlets – would be useful for utilities. Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to obtain the logo or to provide input on other materials or templates that NACWA could make available.

Toilets Are Not Trashcans Campaign

NACWA established the Toilets Are Not Trashcans campaign in response to the problems utilities are experiencing with wipes. As part of the campaign, NACWA is working with other wastewater associations – the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the American Public Works Association (APWA), the Canadian Water & Wastewater Association (CWWA), and the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) – along with INDA (the trade association of the nonwoven fabrics industry) to develop new flushability guidelines to ensure that wipes labeled “flushable” are truly safe for sewer systems. In addition, the associations are beginning a product stewardship initiative to improve labeling of non-flushable wipes and to educate consumers about what can and cannot be flushed. NACWA’s view on wipes has been covered extensively in the media, including on The Dr. Oz Show, and the Federal Trade Commission recently finalized a consent agreement with wipes manufacturer Nice-Pak, Inc., marking the first government action related to flushable wipes.

The campaign has also addressed potentially harmful ingredients in consumer products, which are washed or drained into the sewer system. NACWA is supporting federal legislation to ban plastic microbeads from consumer products and regulatory changes to eliminate the antibacterial agent triclosan from soaps and other personal care products. NACWA has also supported regulatory requirements related to the use of nanomaterials, since their impacts on wastewater treatment and the environment are currently not well understood.

Information about NACWA’s work on wipes and related issues is available on the Toilets Are Not Trashcans webpage, www.nacwa.org/toilets. Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with questions or input about this advocacy campaign.