Flushing Tampons? Here’s What You Need To Know Before Your Next Trip to the Bathroom

Picture this: you've just finished your business in the bathroom and you're ready to switch out your mensural products.But when you look around, you realize there's no trashcan in sight for you to dispose of your used tampon.

Can you flush your tampon? Or do you need an alternative, potentially carrying the used item with you until you find somewhere to dispose of it?

According to the experts, there's a hard and fast rule about whether or not you can flush your old tampons when you're done with them, and it may actually fly in the face of everything you thought you knew about the feminine hygiene product.

The short answer to this question is no, you cannot flush your tampons.

According to the experts who spoke with Allure magazine, that's because tampons will not break down once they enter the water. Instead, these products can cause serious problems in the wastewater system, including expensive clogs.

The intended design and function of the tampon itself could cause even more products, according to Allure, thanks to the fact that these devices are made to expand when they are exposed to liquid. So as they enter the wastewater pipes, these products can actually swell and become larger than they were when they entered the sewage system.

These clogs can spell disaster for the environment as well, since wastewater backup often ends up in public waterways.

That can disrupt the local ecosystems with raw sewage, contaminating the areas that many animals call home. Depending on what type of chemicals are included in that wastewater backup — think cleaning chemicals and products designed to unclog pipes, like liquid Draino — the impacts can range from short-lived to long-lasting as well.

If you're looking for an alternative to flushing your tampons that won't fill your bathroom wastepaper basket, you may be wondering if you can compost your used tampons.

Depending on what type of tampons you're using, you may actually be able to, according to the Natracare website. That's because some tampons are made with all-natural materials, that make it safe to toss them into your compost bin.

If you're shopping for tampons with composting in mind, you're going to want to keep an eye out for some specific things. First, you'll want to ensure you're purchasing tampons that are made with cotton, that don't include any rayon or viscose fibers (these are synthetic and can contain toxic ingredients you don't want in your compost if you're using it for an edible garden), and that are free from plastic.

Next, you'll want to make sure you're tossing them into your compost bin as a "brown," which means you can put them in alongside other dry ingredients like small twigs and cardboard.

Lastly, you'll need to keep your expectations in check. Tampons can take up to six months to biodegrade. If you're menstruating monthly, that can mean tossing quite a few of these into the compost bin each month, which can offset your bin's balance, depending on how many "green" items you're adding.

That means you may not be able to rely solely on composting to get rid of your tampons each month, but that you may instead need to come up with alternatives for the excess — like burying them in your yard — if you don't want them going into landfills when you're done with them.