Although the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has been telling people to flush toilet paper in toilets since 2017, roughly 55 percent of respondents to a survey still dispose of it in trash bins, the EPA said Thursday.
Asked why they continue to dispose of toilet paper in bins instead of flushing it, 44 percent of those responding in that way said they did so due to signage in place in public washrooms telling them not to flush anything in the toilet. Roughly 37 percent said they did so out of concern they would clog the toilet.
Photo: Chang-sheng, Taipei Times
EPA official Shih Sheng-chun (施勝鈞) said that such concerns are unnecessary, as all toilet paper commercially sold in Taiwan is safe to flush, as is indicated on its packaging.
Flushing toilet paper can reduce odor, prevent the growth of bacteria or the spread of infectious diseases, and increase the safety of cleaning staff and other users of public toilets, he said.
However, facial tissue, wet wipes, feminine hygiene products and other items not designed to be flushed should continue to be thrown into trash bins, he said, adding that if an excessive amount of toilet paper is used at once, that should still be thrown into a bin to prevent blockage.
Shih said the EPA would work with businesses operating public washrooms to address their concerns behind leaving signage in place advising against flushing toilet paper.
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