The corona crisis is noticeable for many through the lack of toilet paper in the supermarkets. This fact now also ensures that the pipes are blocked in many places.
- The corona crisis is also a toilet paper crisis.
- Consumers are looking for toilet paper alternatives that are not intended for this use.
- From Australia to Lower Saxony, wastewater treatment plants are affected by greasy mountains in the sewage system .
"The toilet is not a trash can": Corona crisis causes clogged toilets
Whether in Germany or Australia, the lack of toilet paper exacerbates an old problem in the corona crisis: the pipes become blocked if the wrong material is used on the toilet . "Whatever actually applies is currently all the more true: The toilet is not a trash can, " said the Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU), which represents around 1,500 municipal utilities, on Wednesday (April 1). Apparently, consumers are increasingly turning to alternatives that are not suitable for flushing in the toilet.
Although it is not yet a widespread problem, it is particularly important in the current situation: " Please do not throw handkerchiefs, kitchen paper and damp toilet paper into the toilet after use, but into the residual waste ." The Lower Saxony community of Flecken Ottersberg even published "unsavory photos" from the sewage treatment plant to prevent people from disposing of wet wipes in the toilet.
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Australians hoard toilet paper: the rest are looking for alternatives - with consequences
But toilet paper is not only hammered in Germany. Australians are also increasingly using toilet rolls in the supermarkets to stock up - which has consequences: "Last month we saw a 22 percent increase in pipe blockages due to non-flushable products such as kitchen rolls and fabrics," reported the water authority Sydney on Facebook.
Hamster buyers are increasingly switching consumers to wet wipes, facial wipes or paper towels. According to customer manager Darren Cash, these create "fat mountains" through the formation of oil and fat in the sewage system. This could lead to floods, which in turn are expensive for consumers. For example, a resident of Sydney had to spend the equivalent of 8,900 euros for plumbing work because the pipes were blocked by wet wipes. That is why the water authority recommends only washing down the "three P" - "pee, poo and (toilet) paper". In German: " Pee, poop and (toilet) paper ".
What are the alternatives to toilet paper?
In the corona pandemic, the shelves with toilet paper are often bought empty before being refilled. Prime Minister Mark Rutte in the Netherlands recently said in clear words that there was enough: "We have so much, we can poop for ten years." During a tour of the supermarket, Rutte had been asked by a customer whether he still had enough toilet paper.
If you are currently struggling with the same problem and are not getting toilet paper in the supermarket, we have collected some environmentally friendly alternatives for you here *.
Read also : You must never dispose of these things in the toilet.
dpa / fk
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* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.