There is very little in this world that makes me want to throw myself into the nearest paper shredder like the existence of fatbergs. Seriously, just typing that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and I’m for sure going to have hives by the end of this. Regardless, I’m going to push through and tell you exactly why it is that you shouldn’t be flushing paper towels down the loo.
Remember when Australians were hoarding toilet paper like the damn apocalypse was here? If you went to your local Coles or Woolies earlier this year then there’s a solid chance that you saw toilet paper aisle stripped bare. People were acting as if the end days are upon us and the only way to make it through it is to cover yourself head-to-toe in toilet paper.
Unless you were in the Northern Territory, it would seem.
Anyway, there was absolutely no need to be acting like that, but we all know that people don’t listen to reason. Pfft, this is 2020. What, do you want us to think logically or something? Never.
Disturbingly, people are turning to paper towels to fill the toilet paper sized hole in their bathrooms. Makes sense in theory, but it’s a bad plan.
Paper towels are designed to hold together – you’ve probably seen the ads telling us that they’re super tough and will never tear, and that’s exactly the problem. It’s a similar story with wet wipes. Toilet paper is designed to break down in the sewer, but too many people flush paper towels and wet wipes that don’t break down. They start to collect with all the cooking oil and fat in the sewers, and the result is what’s known as a fatberg.
It’s just as gross as it sounds, and some of them get to the size of a passenger plane.
So for the love of god, don’t flush your paper towels or your wet wipes. And don’t think too hard about fatbergs while you eat your lunch.