Workplace Responsibility

12 jars of beetroot, 10 litres of cream and a WHOLE lasagne – the shocking items that have made their way into UK drains

New research has revealed some of the strangest things that people in the UK have poured or placed down their drains, including nine pints of Angel Delight and a nappy.

With one person admitting to pouring 12 jars of beetroot down their kitchen plug hole, another saying they’ve washed 10 litres of double cream away, and another managing to force a whole lasagne into the drain, the results suggest that the general public doesn’t always think about the consequences when it comes to what goes down the drain.

The research also reveals that one in six people think tampons are flushable and as a result, they frequently end up down the drain alongside other non-flushable items including condoms, ground coffee, rice, hair and oil. 

The figures come from commercial drainage experts Metro Rod as part of a wider campaign looking into environmental responsibility in the workplace versus the home. The findings, from over 2,000 people in full and part time work in the UK, highlight a real disparity between people’s habits when they’re at work compared to when they’re at home.

82% of the UK’s working population say they recycle at home but only two-thirds do the same in the working environment; over two thirds sperate glass, plastic and metal for disposal at home but when at work, only two-fifths do the same; and while over half of respondents (55%) unplug their phone chargers at home, only a third (34%) do the same at work, illustrating that there is far more emphasis on being environmentally friendly at home, than in the workplace.

Peter Molloy, managing director at Metro Rod, said: “Whilst the findings may seem amusing at first sight, they’re part of a much wider problem when it comes to looking after our environment. In general, we’ve seen increased awareness of the impact of the human footprint in the home and many are actively changing their habits to reflect this. However, this is not currently being translated into the workplace.

“When you consider the number of hours we spend in the workplace, and the findings we have uncovered, there is significant potential that our collective activity at work has been impacting the environment more than we ever previously realised.

“Over a quarter of people we spoke to admitted to not caring about their impact on drains at work as they’re not paying the bill, with a third saying they don’t think about their energy consumption at work because they’re not paying the bill. This lack of responsibility and culpability, alongside an absence of education on what should and should not end up in the drain, results in all sorts of non-biodegradable items ending up down there, leading to very serious damage in drains and harm to our environment.

“We’re making a serious call for organisations to reinforce the collective responsibility we all have to protect the environment from a business point of view, to ensure our UK workforces are playing their part in futureproofing our local and national eco-systems for many years to come.”

Metro Rod has produced a guide with top tips on improving workplace environmental responsibility which includes a variety of materials that can be shared with your whole organisation to ensure that you’re playing your part in protecting the environment inside and outside of the office. You can download the guide here: link to guide.