What could be more mundane than flushing the toilet after going to the toilet? It has become an automatic gesture that we do several times a day, without even realizing it. Rather, it is an educational behavior that reflects good human morals and ethics. However, for several years, some experts have been advising us to change this habit. No, these days it is no longer rude not to flush the toilet. We explain why.
Today, environmental protection has fully entered mainstream customs. To save the planet, we must increase environmental actions on a daily basis. However, flushing the toilet after simple urination has harmful consequences for the environment. You can’t even imagine the water consumption resulting from such an operation: we waste from 3 to 10 liters of water in the toilets after one trip! In Europe alone, about 3 billion liters of water are used each year to wash urine and other faeces. A real environmental disaster!
To avoid excessive waste of our water resources and spare future generations from environmental carnage, it is time to change certain habits.
Water shortages around the world
Global warming and poor management of water resources are exacerbating droughts around the world. It is a situation that puts millions of people at risk, but also has serious social and economic consequences.
Water scarcity remains a major concern for many countries, especially in Africa. More than two billion people live in countries suffering from water shortages and suffer from a lack of access to drinking water and sanitation.
The situation in East Africa, for example, is particularly worrying. Before 1999, drought occurred every five or six years, resulting in an insufficient rainy season.
However, since 2000, the dry season occurs between March and May every two or three years. Last June, it was officially announced that Madagascar was the first country in the world to suffer from famine due to drought caused by global warming.
In California, a months-long drought caused massive wildfires that swept through forests. The situation is catastrophic!
Why you shouldn’t flush the toilet after urinating?
In light of the above, if you flushed the toilet after every trip to the toilet, you would flush between 3 and 10 liters of water, which is a huge amount in a world where water is scarce. Is it really worth accelerating environmental disasters just to have clean toilets? Isn’t this a terrible and unnecessary waste?
Surely many people think that the opposite would be a real sign of impudence: you can’t even imagine urinating in someone else’s house and dirtying their toilet without using a flush! You should still know that the bathroom is one of the places in the house where we waste the most water, because humans urinate on average 6 times a day.
Given the world’s water shortages, flushing toilets less often can be a meaningful and respectful environmental gesture. In addition, even if it smells bad, urine is still sterile and harmless. This will not cause any particular pollution. However, to avoid splashing water, it is best to close the toilet seat when flushing. Otherwise you will spread toilet germs throughout the bathroom. Therefore, you should always lower the lid and clean the room regularly.
Another important fact: Cleaning your toilet affects the temperature in your home. In winter, when the radiators are turned on, the water pressure drops and a temperature change occurs.
Note: It is important to note that you should avoid keeping your toothbrush near the toilet bowl, as germs and bacteria can easily transfer to the brush you put in your mouth daily.
Now, with all these details, you will definitely think twice before cleaning the toilet!
