Would you stop flushing the toilet to save the planet?
Scientists from the University of Surrey want Brits to give up flushing in favour of perfumed pellets.
In their study, the team gave 20 adults Wizso pellets to use instead of flushing for a week.
These tiny pellets dissolve in the toilet, turning the water blue and masking odour after urination.
The results revealed that households are willing to skip flushing – but only when nobody is looking.
‘We think that social expectations – the fear or stigma of what people might think of them if they were “found out” not to flush – are a bigger problem than the habit of flushing itself,’ said researcher, Sophia Shaw–Brown.
‘We found that our participants who lived alone were more than comfortable with leaving the toilet unflushed, and most were comfortable around partners, children and other family members.
‘However, normal flushing resumed when guests arrived.’
Would you stop flushing the toilet to save the planet? Scientists from the University of Surrey want Brits to give up flushing in favour of perfumed pellets
These tiny pellets dissolve in the toilet, turning the water blue and masking odour after urination
For the study, 20 UK households were given dispensers containing 70 Wizso pellets, to be used over a week.
These tiny pellets – which cost £4.45 for a pack of 240 – can be dropped into the toilet after urination, turning the water blue and releasing a fresh lemon fragrance.
At the end of the week, the households were surveyed about their experience with the pellets.
Overall, the results revealed that the pellets were ‘well received’, with participants finding them easy to incorporate into their daily routines.
Many participants saw the blue water created by the pellet as reassuring, with some associating the colour with bleach.
However, there were several stumbling blocks.
The participants were more cautious about using the pellets when they had guests, or where there were visible signs of an unflushed toilet.
What’s more, women said the sight of menstrual blood prompted them to flush automatically.
For the study, 20 UK households were given dispensers containing 70 Wizso pellets, to be used over a week. These tiny pellets can be dropped into the toilet after urination, turning the water blue and releasing a fresh lemon fragrance
The researchers hope the findings will encourage Brits to limit their flushing and conserve water.
They point out that almost a quarter of domestic water use in the UK is down to toilet flushing – with each flush using between four and 13 litres of drinking water.
Professor Benjamin Gardner, a professor of psychology at the University of Surrey, said: ‘Although there will undoubtedly be situations where people don’t want to leave their toilet unflushed due to embarrassment, these pellets provide an easy way of saving water overall by reducing the number of times we need to flush after urinating.
‘Our study shows that these pellets can help us move away from the “if it’s yellow, let it mellow” message, which is off–putting for some, toward “if it’s blue, don’t flush the loo”.
This isn’t the first time these researchers have suggested drastic measures to encourage Brits to conserve water.
Back in March, the same team claimed Brits should install timers in their showers.
Co–author Sofie Voss, a PhD student at the University of Surrey, told the Daily Mail: ‘Most people do not consciously track how long they have been in the shower, and real–time feedback interrupts the autopilot mode.
‘It creates a moment of awareness, urging people to notice that time is passing and to decide to stop sooner.’
