In a world with so many single-use items, knowing the most conscious way to dispose of them can be confusing.
A reader recently asked Curious Texas, “Is it better for the environment to flush a tissue down the toilet or put it in the trash?”
Here’s a look at what the wastewater experts recommend.
Can I flush a tissue?
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The Environmental Protection Agency encourages Americans to only flush toilet paper. Any other items, like tissues and disinfecting wipes, can cause clogs in plumbing and sewer systems. Fixing those backups is expensive, and sometimes clogging can cause sewage overflows into streets, yards, rivers and lakes.
In March 2024, the San Antonio River Authority said wipes were causing significant issues at wastewater treatment plants. Similarly, the year before, Austin Water said wipes and other items were putting significant strain on the system. According to KXAN, the utility was responding to sewage overflows nearly every week.
Across the country, water agencies spend at least $440 million a year resolving issues caused by wipes, according to a 2019 study from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies. In Texas, the 2019 cost was over $25 million. The study said wipes cause damage regardless of labels touting flushability, as they usually do not sufficiently break down.
How do I properly dispose of tissues?
Tissues don’t separate enough either, according to Who Gives a Crap, an environmentally-friendly toilet paper company. Tissues are built for absorption, and their tightly woven fibers don’t disintegrate easily in plumbing. By contrast, toilet paper is designed to dissolve as soon as it hits the water.
Tissues could be composted, though, if they only have snot and not other bodily fluids. While possible, Kleenex does not recommend composting their tissues as it takes longer than some other paper products.
Most paper products decompose in landfills within a couple of months, according to RecycleNation, a recycling technology company. Moisture and oxygen, usually more prominent in composting, help paper products deteriorate faster.
Despite the accumulated waste from trashing tissues, paper products still break down much faster than most other trash in landfills, and wreak more havoc in the wastewater system.