Dental flossDental floss, which is usually made of nylon or Teflon, should also stay out of the toilet. “It seems like, ‘Oh, it’s just a little string,’ but it tends to wrap things up,” Mr. Villée said. It’s incredibly strong.”Contact lensesWhen contact lenses are flushed down the toilet or washed down the sink, they do not biodegrade easily. As a result, they may make their way into surface water, causing environmental damage, new research has shown. But their absorbent materials, including the string, do not break down easily: They cannot be processed by wastewater treatment centers, and can damage septic systems.

Source: New York Times August 25, 2018 12:45 UTC