The short answer is no: used pads, briefs, protective underwear and wipes do not belong in the toilet. Green bin rules differ from one Canadian municipality to the next, so check yours before you put anything in an organics bin. This guide covers where each item goes, what changes on a septic system and what to do about extra garbage.
The short answer: not the toilet
Pads, briefs and protective underwear are made to take in liquid and hold it, and the materials swell as they do. That is the opposite of what a drain needs, and a swollen pad or brief can block household pipes and municipal sewers. Read any disposal directions printed on the pack, and look at your municipality's website for its list of accepted items.
Unless your municipality tells you otherwise, used products go in the garbage, sealed in a bag.
Wipes and the toilet, including ones labelled flushable
A flushable label on a pack is the manufacturer's description. It is not a promise that your pipes, your local sewers or your septic tank will cope with it. Some municipalities ask residents to keep all wipes out of the toilet, whatever the pack says.
Treat wipes as garbage unless your municipality's website says something different. The adult wipes and skin care collection lists the wipes and washcloths we carry, and each pack carries its own directions.
Green bin rules differ by municipality
Organics programs are set locally. Some municipalities accept certain used hygiene products in the green bin, and others do not. Do not assume. Look up your municipality's list of accepted items or call its waste department, and ask:
- Are used incontinence products or wipes accepted at all?
- Do they have to go in a particular type of bag?
- Are products with plastic layers allowed?
A backyard composter is a separate question. Many disposable incontinence products contain plastic layers and absorbent polymers, and used products carry human waste, so we do not suggest adding them to a home composter.
Garbage: bagging and sealing
For many households, the garbage is the answer. A simple routine keeps it clean and keeps smells in:
- Roll or fold the used product with the soiled side inside, following any disposal directions on the pack.
- Place it in a small bag and tie or seal it.
- Put the sealed bag in a lidded bin lined with a larger bag.
- Take the full bag out on garbage day, or sooner if the bin fills.
- Wash your hands, and wear disposable gloves if you are helping someone else.
Some lidded pails sold for nurseries take their own refill bags. Adult-size products are bulkier, so check the pail's own instructions on what it can hold before you use one, and confirm on the product page that a refill fits your pail. The diaper pails and refills collection lists what we carry, and one example of a refill is the Diaper Genie Easy Roll Diaper Pail Refill, 30 Bags.
Homes on a septic system
A septic system relies on waste breaking down inside the tank and the field. Pads, wipes and the plastics and polymers in briefs do not break down that way, so keep them out of the toilet and treat flushable labels with caution. If you are unsure what your system can handle, ask a septic service company or your municipality.
If you live where garbage is collected less often, keep sealed bags in a lidded, animal-resistant bin between pickups. Ask your municipality about its collection schedule and about any transfer station.
Bag limits and extra garbage: ask your municipality
Some municipalities limit the number of garbage bags per pickup, use bag tags or collect every second week. A household that uses many products can reach those limits sooner than expected. Do not assume there is an exemption, and do not assume there is not one. Ask your municipality's waste department:
- What is the limit per pickup, and what happens to extra bags?
- Is there any arrangement for households that produce extra waste for medical reasons?
- Where can bags be dropped off if you are over the limit?
Write down what you are told, with the date and the name of the person you spoke to.
Washable products as a way to cut waste
Washable underpads and reusable incontinence underwear can reduce how many disposable items go in the garbage, for the items they replace. They add laundry, and they suit some situations better than others, so many households use a mix. The washable incontinence underwear collection lists reusable underwear, and our guide to disposable and washable bed pads compares the two kinds of bed pad.
Shop this guide
- Depend Fit-Flex Maximum Underwear for Women, X-Large, Blush, 26 Count (ships via Amazon)
- NOW Solutions Castor Oil Skin Softener, Unscented, 118 ml (ships via Amazon)
- Ubbi On the Go Bag Dispenser and Refill Set (ships via Amazon)
- Incontinence Underwear for Men, Mens Incontinence Underwear Washable (ships via Amazon)
- See all: Adult Incontinence
- See all: Adult Wipes & Skin Care
- See all: Diaper Pails & Refills
- See all: Washable Incontinence Underwear
Prices are on each product page. Free shipping on orders of $100 or more within Canada.
Common questions
Can I flush a thin pad or liner?
A pad does not become safe to flush because it is thin. Check the pack, and treat it as garbage unless your municipality says otherwise.
Can I put used wipes in the green bin?
Only if your municipality says so. Check the wipe pack for what it is made of, and ask the waste department before you do.
How do I keep the garbage from smelling?
Seal each used product in its own small bag, use a lidded bin and take sealed bags out on a regular schedule.
Who do I ask where things go?
Your municipality's waste services website or phone line is the place to start, because rules are set locally. If you are asking because leaks are new or have increased, a doctor, nurse or pharmacist is the person to talk to.
Disposal rules come from your municipality, but questions about the products themselves can come to us. Send a note through the contact page and we will reply within one business day.